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D 


along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serr6e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 

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□ 

n 
n 

n 

n 


Coloured  pages/ 
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obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


C 

fa 

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s 

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This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  filmA  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqui  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


7f 


12X 


16X 


20X 


26X 


30X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


e 

6tails 
18  du 
lodifier 
T  une 
Image 


IS 


The  copy  filmsd  her*  has  baan  raproducad  thanks 
to  tha  ganarosity  of: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
possibia  considaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  In  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacifications. 


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sion, or  the  back  cover  when  eppropriata.  All 
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first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  etding  on  the  last  pege  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frai   e  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — ^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc..  may  be  filmed  at 
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L'exemplaira  film*  fut  reprodult  grAce  A  la 
gAnArositA  da: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

Las  Imagas  sulvantes  ont  At*  reproduites  avac  le 
plus  grand  soln,  compte  tenu  de  ia  condition  et 
de  ia  nattet*  de  l'exemplaira  film«,  et  en 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmaga. 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  ImprimAe  sont  filmis  en  commenpant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
darnlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autras  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmAs  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  derniire  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sui  la 
derniire  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  — ^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE  ",  le 
symboie  V  signifie  'FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmAs  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffirents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  il  est  film*  A  partir 
de  Tangle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  *  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nAcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  m*thode. 


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» » 


— OR     A    SHORT     ACCdUNn      OF- 


Tiiii  Lii'i;.  Ai)\i;.\TrRi-:s  and  \uYAGns 


— ()!■  — 


CAPT    GURDON   L.  ALLYN. 


M 


Inclii(liiii)  Three  Trips  Around  the  World. 


WRITTEN    BY    HIMSELF, 

In  the   Sovrnty  ninth   and   Eightieth  Years  of  his  Afre, 


NORWICH.  CONN.: 

■I  INIII)    1!V    (lOKDON     WII.COX,     I34     \l  A 1  \    ST, 
1879. 


FA 


Q/T7 


H 


"SS 


Withflrawn  trom  mti 
'amss  Bladf.'fene  Memorial  Ubraf» 


"   '/       , 


PREFACE. 


r\ 


Many  who  kmnv  com  para  thcly  Utile  of  sail  in  tr  a  ship  can 
zoi-itc  a  Iwok,  and  many  loho  arc  proficient  in  seamanship  and 
navigation  arc  far  from  being  proficient  in  a  literary  point  of 

view, 

Jhit  every  intelligent  officer  of  a  vessel  zvhich  makes  long 
voyages  has  his  Journals  and  memoranda  from  which  an  ac- 
connt  of  his  mcanderings  can  be  compiled. 

Every  person'^  life  has  its  experiences  which  are  0/  gen- 
eral interest,  and  this  is  especially  true  of  those  who  hare  wan- 
dered much  in  different  parts  of  the  world. 

This  humble  narrative  is  a  statement  of  facts  and  inci- 
dents unembellished  by  fiction  and  wide  stretches  of  imagina- 
tion. If  it  has  no  particular  moral,  we  believe  that  it  contains 
nothing  immoral,  and  as  people  are  differently  constituted, 
some  being  able  to  find  ''sermons  in  stones,"  and  others  stones 
in  sermons,  and  hailstones  at  that,  so  let  each  one  read  for 
pleasure,  profit,  amusement  or  instruction,  and  deduce  a  moral 
to  suit  himself  if  he  can. 

THE  A  UTHOR, 


199663 


CUI.VR,.;„,KD     .IV    .a,K.,ox     ,..    AU.VN,    O,-    .;A1,KS     KKKin",    cnxv.    ,v     tmk 
».  NK.AR    i)|-    (Ilk     l.dkP     1X79. 


I  was  born  in  the  village  of  Gales  I'erry,  which  is  pleas- 
antly located  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Thames  River,  in  the 
County  of  New  London  and  State  of  Connecticut,  December 
23d,  A.  I).  1799.  My  educational  advantai^es  were  limited 
and  none  too  well  improved.  I  thoui^ht  more  of  boats  than 
of  books,  and  preferred  sailinij,  fishinjr  and  swimming  to 
reading;,  writinjr  and  arithmetic. 

My  father,  a  sea-captain,  was,  in  consecpience  of  the 
Non-Intercourse  Act,  English  Orders  in  Council,  and  Bona- 
parte's Milan  Decrees,  detained  from  his  wonted  avocation, 
and  turned  his  attention  to  fishing  and  oystering,  in  which 
business  my  older  brother  and  myself  were  early  initiated 
and  soon  became  proficient. 

My  first  trip  of  note  was  with  my  father  to  Newport,  R. 
I.,  in  May,  A.  1).  1809,  in  an  inferior  two-masted,  half-decked 
sail-boat.  A  lad  a  little  older  than  myself  accompanied  us. 
He  and  I  were  cold  and  wet  and  sea-sick,  and  sick  of  the  sea, 
for  we  were  out  over  night  and  had  a  very  rough  passage, 
and  the  other  chap  said  he  would  not  be  so  sea-sick  again  for 
five  hundred  thousand  dollars,  liiit  boys,  and  sometimes 
mr.n,  make  extravagant  remarks. 

Daylight,  smooth  water  and  safe  arrival  at  our  destint^d 


The  Ohi  Sailor's  Story. 


port  banished  all  thou<rlus  of  peril  and  sea-sickness,  and  my 
mind  was  divert(;d  by  th(;  sights  and  scen(;s  which  i^ri^cted 
my  vision. 

We  were  in  Newport  at  the  time  of  the  annual  election, 
and  the  election  day  was  "  a  hi<i;h  day;"  fit^hts  were  com- 
mon, and  there  seemed  to  be  an  antai^onistic  feelin<r  b(!t\veen 
the  white  and  colored  population. 

I  saw  one  of  tht;  sabU;  sons  of  Ham,  faultl(;ssU'  arrayed, 
stanilinij  on  w\v.  of  the  wharves  at  low  water.  He  had 
white  pants  and  a  const^cjuential  air.  A  boatman  approached 
him  and  without  leave,  license,  warnini;  or  cerc;mony,  pitched 
him  of  the  white  pants  and  consecpiential  air  into  the;  soft, 
slimy,  oozy,  vicious  mud  of  Newport  harbor. 

^    "()  what  a   fall  was  that,  my  ( ouiitryincn  ! 

In  the  s[)rinj^  of  A.  I).  1811  ni)- father  purchased  a  sloop 
of  twenty  tons  burthen  to  ply  between  homt;  and  New  \'ork. 
This  suited  me  for  I  was  an.xious  to  see  the  great  cit\  of 
which  I  had  heard  so  much. 

We  started  on  the  eleventh  of  April  with  a  fresh  ij^ale 
from  E.  N.  E.,  intending  to  reach  New  Haven  before  night; 
but  after  we  had  passed  b'aulkner's  Island  the  gale  increased, 
snow  fiWed  the  air,  and,  when  we  hauled  up  for  New  Haven, 
the  sails  being  old  and  filled  with  snow^  burst  and  blew  away, 
leaving  us  in  the  trough  of  a  heav^'  sea,  at  the  mercy  of  the 
winds  and  waves,  in  a  truly  perilous  condition. 

My  father",  apparently  undaunted,  headed  her  for  Long- 
Island,  and  told  my  brother  to  build  a  fire  and  draw  souk* 
cider  ;  but   the  sloop  gave  a  heavy  roll  and  down  came  the 


The  Old  Sdi/or's  S/ory 


brick  chimney  with  a  crash,  partly  fillini;  the  h'ttle  cabin  with 
bricks  and  mortar,  at  which  my  fortitude  deserted  me  and  I 
b(,>Howed  w(-il.  but  my  father  laughed  at  my  fears,  and  in  the 
blackness  of  nij^dit,  with  the  sea  raj;inj^  and  the  wind  howl- 
intj,  we  drifted   helplessly. 

At  two  o'clock  the  next  morn  in  jj^  we  were  almost 
ashore  on  Crane  Neck,  but  father  wore  the  sloop  around, 
and  barely  escaping  luiton's  Neck  at  daylight,  by  means  of 
a  new  boat  sail  set  in  the  pump.  W(;  arriv(!d  in  Loyd's  Har- 
bor, one  of  the  snuggest  harbors  in  the  world,  where  we 
found  two  large  vess(;ls  had  dragged  their  anchors  and  gone 
ashore  high  and  dry. 

The  sloop  Heroine,  of  Norwich,  nearly  new,  was  wrecked 
on  Eaton's  Neck  early  in  the  night  and  broke  to  pieces, 
the  crew  saving  themselves,  with  one  exception,  b^swinging 
out  the  main  boom  and  crawling  from  its  end  into  the  high 
bank,  where  they  dug  a  hole  with  their  hands,  into  which 
they  huddled  together  for  shelter  from  the  severity  of  the 
elements. 

The  unfortunate  exception  was  an  Indian  who  stead- 
fastly refused  to  desert  the  three  hogsheads  of  rum  which 
formed  a  part  of  the  sloop's  cargo.  He  was  one  of  the  mul- 
titudinous army  which  have  lost  their  lives  in  conseijuence 
of  their  devotion  to  rum, 

My  father  bought  the  sails  of  the  Heroine,  which  he 
altered  to  suit  our  sloop,  and  we  proceeded  to  New  York, 
and  from  thence  to  the  vicinity  of  Staten  Island,  where  he 
procured  a  cargo  of  oysters,  which  he  brought  home  and 
planted  in  the  l  hames. 


8 


The  (^Id  Saiiors  Sforv. 


James  Madison  was  then  IVesidcnt  of  tlu-  L'nited  States, 
'I'here  was  a  stronjj^  feelini^  of  animosit)-  between  tlit;  Ameri- 
cans and  Kntjlish.  Many  of  tlu;  Rt^volutionary  patriots  were 
then  livinj^  and  Kn^^himl  maintained  the  rii;ht  of  searching; 
American  vessels  and  taking;  therefrom  those  who  apjjeared 
to  be  British  subjects.  By  this  means  the  mind  of  the  pub- 
lic was  constantly  kept  excited,  and  an  incid(MU  (Kxurred  in 
Ma\-  of  this  )t;ar  which  increased  this  leelini^. 

Commodore  Rogers,  in  the  Iniited  .Stales  frigate-  Trcsi- 
ilent,  oti"  the  coast  of  Virginia,  on  the  evening  of  May  i  ith. 
fell  in  with  a  vessel  and  hailetl  her  with.  "  What  ship  is  that  ? 
What  ship  is  that  ?"  and  a  shot  which  struck  the  main-mast 
of  the  President  was  the  reply. 

Commodore;  Rogers  ordered  a  broadside,  which  silenced 
her  guns  and  killed  and    .ounded  many  of  h;'r  men. 

Mailing  again,  the  commodore  received  a  courteous  an- 
swer, that  the  ship  was  the  "  Little  lielt,"  a  British  man-of- 
war  brig. 

This  was  the  first  check  the  proud  British  IJon  received 
from  tlie  American  Eagle  on  the  high  seas,  but  by  no  mean^; 
the  last. 

Proudly  declining  proffered  assistance,  the  I'^nglishman 
bore  away  for  Bermuda,  and  Commodore  Riggers  and  the 
frigate  President  were  the  theme  of  every  tongue  antl  made 
a  strong  impression  on  my  boyish  imagination. 

ihis  also  tended  to  fire  the  British  heart  and  the  proud 
English  boasted  that  they  could  sw(;ep  our  feeble  navy  from 
the  ocean  in  a  verj'  short  time. 

But    thf;    s(:([U(d    pro\(,-d    \.o   the  contrary,  as  ev<;r)-  hoy 


■«sm.^ 


Till'  Old  Sailors  Story 


who  has  read  the  history  of  the  second  war  of  the  Ameri- 
cans with  I'^ngland  knows  full  well.  No  readint^  is  more  in- 
teresting to  brave  and  manly  Ix^ys  than  the  captures  of  the 
"  (uierriere"  by  the  "  Constitution,"  of  the  "  I'rolic  "  by  the 
"  Wasp."  of  the  "  Macedoninp"  by  the  "  United  States,"  of 
the  "Java"  by  the  "  Constitution,"  of  the  "  Boxer"  by  the 
"  I^nterprise,"  of  the  "  Cyane  "  and  the  "  Levant  "  by  "  Old 
Ironsides."  of  the  "  l*en<^  in"  by  the  "  Hornet,"  and  the  (gal- 
lant victories  of  Perry  on  Lak'-  l^rie  and  McDonoughon 
Lake  Champlain.  I'he  news,  incitlents  and  comments  of 
these  jjflorious  victories  are  amoHLj  the  most  vivid  recoUec- 
tions  of  my  boyhood. 

\\\  December,  A.  I).  iSii,  occurred  the  "Great  Christ- 
mas Snow  Storm."  the  most  severe  I  have  ever  known,  the 
snow  drifts  bein*^  ten  and  fifteen  feet  in  heijj^ht.  Many  ves- 
sels were  wrecked  and  their  crews  perished. 

In  June,  A.  I).  1812,  war  was  declared  aj^ainst  Great 
Britain  by  the  Coiii^ress  of  the  I'nited  States,  and  from  that 
time  until  the  cessation  of  hostilities  in  A.  I),  1S15,  I  fol- 
lowed fishing  and  boating  in  summer  and  attended  school  in 
winter. 

I  accompanied  my  father  and  brother  in  the  little sloo[), 
and  after  the  war  was  over  and  the  blockade  was  raisetl  we 
launched  out  as  far  as  Chesapeake  Bay,  taking  out  produce 
and  returning  with  ousters  for  the  New  York  market. 

In  the  summer  of  A.  1).  iSi  7  I  staitl  at  home  and  stud- 
ied arithmetic  and  navigat'on  under  the  tuition  of  Norman 
B.  Brown,  an  excellent  t(;acher,  very  proficie-nt  in  penman- 
ship, who  was  ever  pleased  to  instruct  me. 


JO 


fJic  Old  Sailor  s  Story 


In  A.  I).  1819  I  shii^ped  mate  of  the  sloop  Thames,  of  for- 
ty-eight tons  burthen,  Captain  Christopher  Allyn,  master, 
bound  to  Charleston,  S.  C. 

VVc  inade  two  trips.  On  the  second  passage  out  we  had 
a  very  boisterous  time,  gale  succeeding  gale,  but  the  sloop 
was  a  good  sea-boat  and  we  arrived  at  Charleston  after  fif- 
teen days,  where  we  loaded  with  cotton  and  rice  which  we 
safely  conveyed  to  New  York. 

In  January,  i\.  I).  1S20,  we  started  from  Gales  I'erry  for 
New  York  with  a  load  of  cord-wood.  The  day  was  pleasant 
but  at  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  it.  hazed  up  and 
commenced  snowing,  with  the  wind  from  the  east,  and  we 
hauled  up  for  New  Haven,  but  m(;eting  with  floating  ice  we 
anchored  at  the  mouth  of  the  harbor. 

The  wind  increased  and  we  let  go  our  s(?cond  anchor, 
but  the  wind  veered  to  the  south,  and  having  the  wholi?  rake 
of  the  sound  we  parted  one  cable  and  cut  the  otlu^r,  and 
went  head  first,  at  very  full  tide,  away  above  common  high 
water  mark  on  West  HaviMi  beach,  where  she  bilged. 

Heing  insur(;tl  wt;  abandoned  her  to  the  underwriters, 
who  got  her  off  and  repairc^d  her. 

In  the  first  half  of  this  year  I  mad(;  two  trips  in  the 
sloop  "  Romeo,"  Captain  Alexander  Allyn,  one  to  Baltimore, 
Md.,  and  one  to  Richmond,  \'a.,  taking,  out  an  assorted 
cargo,  from  New  1  ondon,  of  cheese,  potatoes,  coffee-mills, 
shoes,  leather,  gridirons,  etc.,  and  returning  with  Hour. 

On  the;  23d  of  June,  /\.  1).  1.S20,  I  was  master  of  the 
sloop  Thames,  bound  to  th(^  West  Indices  with  an  .issort(!d 
cargo  of  Hour,  bread,  beef,  pork,  lard,   butter,  etc. 


The  Oil!  Sailor  s  Storv. 


II 


1  had  a  long  passage  of  about  a  month.  l)eing  becahned 
in  the  horse  hxtitudes,  but  in  course  of  time  I  disposed  of 
my  cargo  at  the  island  of  St.  Eustatia,  and  loading,  partly 
there  and  partly  at  the  island  of  St.  Bartholomew,  with  sugar, 
proceeded  safely  to  the  port  of  .New  London. 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  voyage  the  sloop  was  sold  to 
Mr.  Amasa  Hyde,  of  Norwich,  wlio  retained  my  services  as 
commander,  and,  with  his  brother  Lewis  as  supercargo,  we 
sailed  for  Charleston,  S.  C.  in  th(;  latter  part  of  September, 
with  a  cargo  of  produce. 

Arriving  there  safelv.  we  continued  in  Carolina  waters 
through  the  winter,  conveying  cotton  from  the  plantations  to 
the  port  of  Charleston  and  carrying  back  loads  of  brick. 

In  May  we  loaded  with  tar  at  Georgetown,  which  we 
carried  to  New  York  and  discharged.  I  then  made  a  trip 
from  Norwich  to  the  West  Indies,  with  Captain  Jonathan 
Lester  as  supercargo,  and  having  disposed  of  the  cargo  to 
good  ad\antage,  we  took  in  a  tpiantity  of  rum  which  we  con- 
veyed to  Boston. 

Mr.  ll\cle,  the  owner,  was  well  pleased  with  this  year's 
transactions,  for  the  sloop  hat!  paid  him,  in  one  year's  time, 
more  money  than  she  cost  him,  th(.'  j^rice  he  paid  for  her  be- 
ing $1,275. 

In  the  winter  of  A.  I).  ;.S2i  and  A.  D.  1822  I  was  en- 
gaged in  th(;  coasting  trade  in  Carolina  waters,  and  in  the 
spring  1    returned  with  a  mixed   cargo  to  New  York. 

On  the  lUh  of  October,  .X.  I).  icS22,  I  was  married  to 
Miss  Sail)  S.  Bradford,  of  ( iaies  I'erry.  V\'e  ceU^brated  the 
fiftieth  anniversary  of  our   marriage   in   A.  U.  1872,  and  at 


12 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Story, 


the  present  writing  we  have  Hved  together  as  man  and  wife 
a  little  more  than  tifty-six  )ears. 

In  the  winter  of  A.  1).  1S22  and  A.  1).  1823  my  father 
was  with  me.  We  coasted  in  southern  waters  and  bought  a 
schooner  of  seventy-five  tons  burthen.  P'ather  took  charge 
of  her,  and  in  the  spring  we  loaded  at  Savannah  for  New 
York,  where  we  arrived  the  same  day  although  I  sailed  sever- 
al days  in  advance. 

1  made  a  trip  in  the  spring  and  early  summer  of  A.  1). 
1823  to  Norfolk  and  Baltimore,  carrying  out  potatoes  and 
oats  and  returnin'";  with  a  full  carifo  of  staves. 

In  the  summer  of  this  year  my  brother  Nathan  and  my- 
self loaded  the  sloop  with  a  cargo  of  wood  for  New  York. 
We  took  our  wives  along  to  see  the  wonders  of  the  great 
metropolis  and  we  had  a  verj  enjoyable  time. 

Disposing  of  the  wood  we  proceeded  to  South  Amboy 
where  we  loadtxl  with  potter's-clay  for  Norwich. 

My  brother  sailed  with  an  old  friend  of  ours,  in  Sep- 
tember, for  .Savannah,  but  alas  !  he  never  reached  his  pro- 
posed destination.  lb;  died  of  a  fever  on  the  passage  and 
was  buried  where  so  many  rest  until  the  time  when  the  "sea 
shall  give  up  its  dead." 

IVIy  father  having  overhauled  our  schooner,  the  "Three 
Sisters,"  and  his  health  being  poor,  he  wished  me  to  sail 
with  him  this  fall  which  I  accordingly  did.  W(;  took  a  cargo 
to  Maltimore  ;  thence  a  cargo  of  Hour  antl  oats  to  Charleston, 
rinding  business  dull  in  those  [jarts  we  proc(;c;d(Hl  to  b^liza- 
beth  City  where  we  loadeil  with  stav(;s,  shingU.'s  and  corn  for 
th(!  \\\'st  Inilies.      We  stopptnl  at  Harbadoes  and  finding  no 


The   Old  Sailor's  Story. 


n 


market  for  our   caroo  we     proceeded   to' St.  Vincent's  where 
we  found  a  i^ootl   market. 

Mere  my  father's  health  failed,  and  in  spite  of  medical 
assistance  he  .s^rew  worse  instead  of  better.  I  desired  that 
h(;  should  have  rooms  on  shore.  To  this  he  objected,  but 
desired  to  be  taken  on  deck  for  purer  air.  We  had  a  thick 
sail-cloth  awnino  overhead.  Under  this  he  laid  and  took 
his  medicine  and  drinks  n^^idarly. 

On  l^Viday  he  was  able  to  go  ashore  and  seemed  quite 
cheerful.  .Saturday  he  appeared  more  feeble  ;  and  between 
Sunda)-  night  and  Monday  morning  Ik;  died  without  a  strug- 
LiU;  in  the;  tiftv-ninth  Near  of  his  age. 

This  was  11^,  .\pril,  A.  1).  1S24,  and  of  our  family  of  five, 
death  had  taken  two  in  less  than  eight  months,  leaving  my 
widowed  mother,  my  onl)  sister  and  nnsell. 

Mr.  Newbold,  our  consignee;,  made  proper  and  suitable 
arrangements  for  m\'  father's  burial  ;  and  having  attended 
to  this  solemn  dut\  I.  with  a  sad  heart,  turned  my  attention 
to  m)'  vessel  and  cargo. 

I  took  in  about  fift)  puncheons  of  molasses  and  pro- 
ceeded to  North  Carolina  where  1  discharged  the  same,  and 
finding  freight  dull  for  the  north.  I  made  a  bargain  with 
Shaw  cS:  Co.,  '>|  JTi/abeth  Cit),  to  take  another  cargo  of 
staves  and  shingles  to  the  West  Indies. 

I  intended  to  have  gone  to  Antigua  but  easterly  winds 
prevailing  1  |)ut  into  Port  Antone,  Jamaica,  where  I  nuule  a 
rap  for  the  whole  ca-go — shingles,  invoiced  at  $2.25,  bringing 
$i.|  i)er    M.;    red  oak  staves,  iinoiced  at  SS,  worth  $(')5   per 


H 


TJic  Old  Sailor  s  Storv. 


M.;  and  white  oak  staves  and  heading-,  invoiced  at  $'!>.  worth 
875  per  M. 

But  here  I  was  stricken  with  the  yellow  bilious  fever  ; 
and  although  I  was  taken  ashore  and  had  o-ood  care,  lor  ten 
days  or  more  my  life  was  despaired  of,  and  in  the  mean  time 
my  mate  died  of  the  same  dreadfvd  scourj^e. 

As  soon  as  my  fever  left  me  ami  I  had  rained  a  little 
streny;th  I  became  verv  nerxous  and  at  times  delirious.  At 
such  times  I  had  gloomy  forebodintrs  and  imaij^ined  all  sorts 
of  evil. 

One  mornini"'  I  thou.dit  1  heard  mv  landladv  ay  :  "That 
fellow  is  alive  \et.  I  will  have  a  ^rave  du^'  and  bur)-  him 
aiive."  The  window  was  open  and  the  schooner  was  in 
siLjht.  Out  of  the  window  I  went,  fourteen  feel  from  the 
iLl^round,  int(japile  of  ballast-stones  ami  broken  bottles.  Sus- 
taining; no  material  injur\-  ( 1  believe  I  barked  one  of  my 
shins)  1  chne  from  tlu;  wharf  and  swam  tor  th<'  schooner. 
The  boat  beloni^inL;'  to  her  beiui^on  its  way  ashore,  tlu;  sail- 
ors took  me  in  and  conxeved   me  on    board. 

The  caj)tain  c^f  a  Newfoundland  brii;,  which  !a\'  near  us. 
came  on  board,  ami  by  his  acKice  and  assistance  1  had  a 
warm  bath  and  was  put  to  Ix:(.l,  where  1  had  a  short  nap 
which  souKnvhat  refr(.'shetl  me.  liut  the  h>'|)o  taking"  pos- 
session of  111)'  l)rain,  I  doxc  from  the  cabin  window  with  an 
insane  iU!sire  to  end  m\-  existence.  Hut  the  water  had  a 
cooling",  soothini^'  etfecl  on  ni)-  ner\i;s  antl  brain,  and  beinii^ 
taken  on  boartl  ami  carcfullx'  watclnnl  1  ^railuall)-  recox-ereil, 

I)y  the.  ad\  ice  and  assistance  of  a  LjtMitlem.in  of  tht; 
place,  K.  .Sherwood.  Ils*,.,  my  vessel  was  loaded  and  1  sailetl 


•^tmOXiA 


The  Old  Sailor  X  Story. 


15 


for  home  by  the  windward  passage.  But  after  live  or  six 
days  of  pU^asant  weather,  owing  to  some  miscalcuhition,  in- 
stead of  safe!)'  entering  Crooked  Ishmd  passage  we  struck, 
in  the  night,  on  the  Hogsties,  a  collection  of  reefs  and  islets 
situated  to  the  south  and  east  of  our  proposed  passage  ;  and 
tile  wind  increasing  the  vessel  was  wrecked,  that  is,  she 
pounded  a  hole  in  her  bottom  but  did  not  break  up. 

We  landed  on  a  little  island  about  two  miles  from  the 
wreck,  where- we  continued  in  camp  for  sixteen  days,  making 
occasional  trips  to  the  wreck  for  what  we  most  needed.  At 
the  expiration  of  that  time  a  ship  hove  in  sight  and  seeing 
our  signal  came  to  our  relief. 

The  ship  was  bound  from  St.  Domingo  for  New  \  ork 
with  a  valuable  cargo  of  coffee.  The  captain  generously  of- 
fered to  take  us  and  our  tlunnage,  but  refused  to  have  any- 
tliing  to  ilo  with  the  wreck  or  cargo,  thinking  it  woidd  affect 
his  iusuranct;,  which  was  probably  correct  on  his  i>art.  I  loping 
to  realize  something  from  the  wreck  and  wreckeil  cargo.  I  re- 
fusi'tl  to  abanilon  the  same,  and  recpiesting  him  to  report 
us  and  our  conditit)n  at  Crooked  Island,  after  putting  one 
bo\-  in  his  cari',  we  saw  him  sail  away  and  we  felt  more  lone- 
some antl  melancholy  than  before. 

lU;  it  remembered  we  were  far  from  home  and  in  a  cU-so- 
lale,  iminhabited  region,  with  poor  accommodations,  in  what 
is  known  and  feared  as  the  hurricane  season,  on  a  little  island 
perhaps  ten  feet  above;  the  sea-level,  which  in  case  of  a  hur- 
ricane would  probably  be  submerged. 

!»ut  after  weary,  anxious  days  of  waiting,  a  sloop  from 
Crooked    Island  came   to  our  r(;li(;f,  and  aftc^r  securing  all 


i6 


The  (V<^  Sai/or's  Slory. 


available  car^o   and   stripping-  the   wreck,   slic   took   us    on 
board  and  convened  us  to  the  port  of  Nassau. 

About  the  time  of  my  arrival  there  1  was  taken  sick 
with  intermittent  fever ;  but  I  survived,  and  aft(n-  sett!in«>- 
with  the  wreckers  and  payinL,^  ni)'  crew  I  had  less  than  fort) 
dollars. 

I  took  passa_t;e  in  a  small  schooner  to  Charleston,  S.  C, 
where  I  arrived  in  low  spirits  on  the  first  of  September,  A.  1). 
1824,  in  the  height  of  a  yellow  fever  scourge,  and  found  that 
ni)-  friends  of  that  place  were  absent  in  the  countrj-. 

With  only  about  live  dollars  that  I  could  call  w\y  own, 
utterl)-  broken  down  in  mind  and  body,  I  [)r()cured  a  permit 
antl  went  to  the  Marine  Hospital,  where-  for  six  weeks  1  was 
very  sick  and  very  kindl)'  cared  for. 

When  I  had  somewhat  recov(n-(;d.  the;  doctor,  or  chief 
surgeon,  Campbell,  pointed  me  out  to  the  visiting  commit- 
tee as  his  "  resurrection  man." 

One  morning  in  November  I  read  in  the  paper  of  the 
arrival  of  the  schooner  Arkansas,  Captain  Wood,  and  slooj) 
Humbird,  Captain  Satterlee,  both  from  the  north  and  both 
captains  particular  friends  of  mine. 

This  was  cheering  intelligenct;  ami  I  soon  ralli(;d.  Cap- 
tain Wood  offered  me  a  free, passage  to  New  \'ork.  which  1 
gladly  accepted  and  arrived  then;  safel)'. 

Captain  Charles  I)avid.son,  of  the  little  steamer  l^anny, 
gave  me  a  free  passage  through  the  sound  and  landed  me 
at  Gales  I'erry,  where  I  found  my  friends  in  usual  health 
and  my  wife  wiin  a  fme  boy,  four  months  of  age.  in  her  arms. 

B)'   hook  or  b)  crook  1    weathered   the  v  inter,  and  in 


r/ic  Old  Sailor  s  Slory 


17 


April,  A.  I).  1825,  went  mate  of  the  sloop  I^avorite,  at  $14 
per  month,  with  Captain  San  ford  Stoddard,  to  Norfolk  with 
potatoes.  Here  I  receivc^d  a  satisfactory  letter  from  John 
A,  Shaw  t^  Co.,  of  North  Carolina. 

'I'he\-  owed  m(;  about  8300  on  m)-  two  West  India  car- 
L:^oes.  They  paid  me  $100  and  [promised  to  pa)'  the  remain- 
der, but  now,  after  the  lapse  of  fift)-three  years,  the  remain- 
der is  still  unpaid. 

Arrivintj^  home,  via  Providence,  about  the  first  of  May, 
I  made  a  short  trip  to  New  York,  and  on  my  return  1  was 
recommended  b)'  an  old  friend,  Captain  John  Wood,  to  Mr. 
Joseph  Lawrence,  as  sailing-master  of  a  new  schooner  called 
the  Spark,  Captain  I>ebbeus  Gardner  btiino-  captain  and  half 
owner. 

I  continued  with  Captain  Gardner  until  about  Thanks- 
givino-,  in  the  New  York  and  Baltimore  trade,  and  ni)'  fami- 
ly being  sick  staid  at  heme  a  lew  weeks  and  then  made  six 
trips  in  the  sloop  Thames,  carrying  cord-wood  to  New  York, 
which  brings  me  to  March,  A.  I).  1826. 

At  this  time  Messrs.  Bangs  &  Kilburn,  of  Hartford,  of- 
fered me  a  mate's  berth  on  the  brig  Merchant,  Captain  John 
King,  which  1  accepted. 

Captain  King  was  none  too  well  versed  in  navigation,  and 
made  stupid  calculations,  for  afte>.  getting,  according  to  m)' 
calculations,  at  least  six  degrees  to  the  eiislward  of  the  Hole- 
in-the-W^all,  he  was  afraid  of  the  land  and  ran  three  days 
and  hove  to  three  nights  Lefore  sighting  the  same  ;  and  after 
getting  on  to  the  Bahama  banks,  he  ran  ashore  to  find  out 
which   side  of  the  channel   he  was  on,    and   if  we  liad   not 


i8 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Siorv 


kedijecl  off  as  \vc  did  \\v.  sliould  liave  been  wrecked  then  and 
there.  As  it  was  he  broke  one  of  tlie  rudtler  j^udgeons 
which  made  steerinjj^  hard  work. 

After  a  deal  of  miscalcidation  we  ran  b\-  the  port  of 
Matanzas,  to  which  we  were  bound,  so  far  that  it  took  us 
nearly  all  of  one  da\-  to  beat   back. 

But  after  a  time  we  arrived  and  spent  ti\e  weeks  in 
discharging  and  loading,  all  b)-  means  of  our  long  boat,  which 
carried  five  hogsh'jads,  conveying  articles  from  and  to  the 
vessel,  a  distance  of  two  miles  each  way. 

About  the  first  of  June.  A.  I).  i,S26  we  sailed  for  New 
Lontlon,  where  we  arrived  and  discharged  part  of  our  cargo, 
proceeding  to  Hartford  with  the  remainder. 

WHien  we  unloaded  we  smoked  her  out  and  killed  ui)- 
wards  of  two  hundred  rats. 

The  remainder  of  the  summiT  I  spent  in  overhauling 
vessels  for  I^angs  &  Kilburn.  Most  of  the  time  I  was  at- 
tending to  the  brig  .Sea  Island,  unloading,  overhauling  and 
reloading  her.  the  brig  Merchant  in  the  meantime  making  a 
voyage  to  Demerara  with  bricks,  flour,  leaf  tobacco,  segars 
and  horses. 

The  Merchant  returned  in  November  and  I  had  orders 
to  repair  on  board  of  her;  and  after  discharging  she  was 
loaded  with  provisions  and  produce,  with  ten  horses  and  one 
hundred  and  fifty  swine  f)n  deck. 

Captain  Henry  Barnard  was  to  command,  but  the  pa- 
pers were  made  out  in  my  name  as  Captain  Barnard  was  to 
remain  in  Cuba  to  i)rocure  cargoes  for  other  xcssels,  whiU;  I 
was  to  brinLi'   the  bri'>    home.     Our  destination  was  Matan- 


The  Old  Sailor  a  Story, 


19 


zas,  and  alter  waiting  for  a  fav(irablti  time  vvc  sailed  from 
New  London  December  loth,  A.  I).   1.S26. 

We  sailed  with  the  wind  northwest,  in  hopes  of  havinj^ 
a  ([uick  |)assa!j^e,  but  the  next  day  the  wind  veered  to  south- 
west, with  a  heavy  head  beat  sea,  and  the  swine  were  not 
only  well  washed,  but,  with  the  exception  of  seven,  like  the 
swine  into  which  the  devils  entered,  they  perished  in  the  wa- 
ter ;  and  of  the  seven  that  escaped,  five  were  afterwards  con- 
fiscated by  the  Cubans,  Captain  Barnard  ne^dectin;^^  to  put 
them  on  the  manifest,  intendinij;  them  for  slaughtering  on 
boanl.  \V\;  had  constant  gales  during  the  entire  passage  of 
twenty-three  days,  the  brig  leaking  badly,  recjuiring  con- 
stant pumping. 

We  arrived  at  Cuba  in  January,  A.  1).  1827,  and  sailed 
for  home  in  I'ebruary. 

Hatl  [)leasant  weather  for  the  first  few  days  and  made 
good  progress,  but,  in  latitude  thirty-four  degrees  north,  took 
a  strouiT  bree;ie  from  the  south,  and  shortened  down  to  close 
reefed  top-sails,  and  after  judging  myself  past  Cape  Hatteras 
hauled  up  north,  having  heavy  squalls  from  the  southwest 
and  the  pumps  constantly  going. 

We  were  in  the  Gulf  Stream,  bowling  along  at  the  rate 
of  eleven  knots,  when  the  wind  suddenly  shifted  to  tht;  north- 
wartl,  and  in  two  hours'  time  our  climate  seemed  changed 
from  summer's  heat  to  winter's  cold,  and  our  rigging  was 
covered  with  ice. 

The  wind  veered  to  tJK;  northeast,  and  for  three  days 
wr  wer<;  close  hauled  on  both  tacks,  and  on  the  fourth  morn- 
ing oik;  of   the  sheathing  planks  floated  off,  and  tlv.-  leak  in- 


:o 


///(    ( ^/(/  ,Sit//('/-'s  S/oiY 


crcasetl  fcarlully,  so  that  both  ininij).s  constantl)  workinjj; 
could  not  kcc'i)  her  tR:c-. 

Bfiiii^  north  of  the  (iulf  Stream,  oil  ihc  coast  of  Delaware, 
in  twent)  fathoms  of  water,  1  hon^  off  for  the  cajx's  of  \'ir- 
oinia,  hut  the  weather  In'came  as  thick  as  burgoo,  and  after 
standiiiL,''  in  to  five  fathoms  on  the  \'ir<;inia  coast,  hov(.'  to, 
head  oft"  shore, with  one;  top-sail  aback,  and  all  hands  and  the 
cook  i)umi)ed  for  their  livt:s. 

Aftt^r  pumping  for  a  day  and  a  night,  without  decreas- 
ing the  depth  of  water  in  the  hold,  we  stove  the  heads  of 
the;  twent)  hogsheads  of  molasses  which  formed  the  deck- 
load,  w  hich  se(  med  to  ease  her  a  little. 

About  this  time  the  wind  changed  to  the;  west,  and,  af- 
ter making  all  sail  and  heading  to  the  north,  we  made  a 
search  for  the  leak  ;  staving  three  hogsheads  of  molasses  in 
the  port  wing,  and  cutting  away  the  ceiling  plank,  found  a 
fearful  leak  just  below  the  loaded  water-line,  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  port  fore  chains. 

With  much  difficult)-  we  succeeded  in  stojjping  it  par- 
tially, so  that  after  a  hard  day's  work  all  round,  the  men 
gave  the  cheering  intelligence  that  the  pumps  sucked. 

Hut  the  danger  was  not  over,  for  it  required  constant 
pumping  to  keep  her  free. 

But  after  a  few  more  days  of  blowy,  rough  weather  we 
arrived  safely  in  New  London  on  about  the  eighth  of  March, 
A.  L).  1827. 

The  work  of  pumping  was  confided  to  other  hands,  and 
I  started  for  Gales  PV^rry  on  foot,  where  I  found  ni)'  wife 
with  a  line,  plump  bo)  of  five  months  in  her  arms. 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Story, 


2t 


Antl  so  cncl(;d  this  wearisoiiK;  and  daiii^erous  vo)aL;;(*. 
After  discharL(iiiL^  sufficient  cartj^o  to  brin*^  tlic  leak  out  of 
watcT,  proc(H;ded  to  Hartford  with  the  residue,  'I'he  Con- 
necticut Ri\(T  hein<4'  twenty-one  fe(;t  hi^lier  than  at  common 
low  water,  we  dischar^(;d  into  the  scxond  storj-  of  Morgan's 
warehouse,  tlie  lower  story  bein*;  subinertred. 

1 1  ere  the  old  brii^  narrowly  (escaped  takinj^  fire  fror  the 
burnino-  of  a  nei,^ro  house  in  the  inimcjdiate  vicinity,  but  the 
sails  beinor  wet,  and  we  U.'tting  her  swin<^  off  into  the  stream 
with  ureat  haste,  she  escaped  the  conH aeration. 

After  beinu-  overhauled  and  thorous^hly  calk'.^d  antl  re- 
fastcMKul  the  "  Merchant"  was  a<rain  loaded  with  a  general 
carLi^o,  uud  another  deck-load  of  those;  animals  w  lich  th(; 
Jews  abhor,  and  leavinj^  Saybrook  bar  A[)ril  29th,  aftcM-  a 
rin(%  (juick  [jassajj^e,  arrived  at  Matanzas  May  iith,  A.  1). 
1S27,  and  commenced  discharLjing,  with  the  hogs  on  deck,  as 
the  man  to  whom  the)'  were  consigned  was  absent  in  the 
country.  They  were  much  in  our  way,  as  they  r(;mainc;d 
until  our  in-board  cargo  was  unloaded  and  our  ground  tier 
of  molasses  for  return  cargo  was  stowed.  We  loadetl  and 
started  for  home  June  23d,  Captain  Barnard,  before  men- 
tioned, taking  passage  with  us. 

The  northeast  trades  being  strong  wc;  had  a  pretty 
rough  passage  between  the  Bahamas  and  the  Florida  coast, 
but  nothing  worthy  of  note  occurring  until  we  arrived  in  the 
latitude  of  Cape  Tear.  Captain  I^arnard,  being  an  old  West 
India  skipper,  and  part  owner  of  the  cargo,  ..iHild  often  dic- 
tate to  the  mate  conc{u*ning  the  course;  of  the  \-essel.  In  the 
mate's  watch,  on  July  3d,  he  changed  the  course  which  1  had 


22 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Story. 


ordered  from  northeast  to  north-northeast.  When  I  found 
this  out  I  remonstrated  with  him,  but  he  vowed  that  we 
could  steer  north  and  then  pass  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
to  the  east  of  Cape  Hatteras. 

lieinj;  self-willed  he  declared  that  he  was  riijht,  and  I 
let  him  have  his  way,  although  I  felt  convinced  that  he  was 
wrong,  which  he  was  as  the  sequel  proved,  for  at  eleven 
o'clock  we  made  a  light,  and  soumling  found  we  had  but 
nine  fathoms  inside  of  the  dangerous  shoals  of  Cape  Look- 
out, part  of  which  are  dry  at  low  water.  He  gave  orders  to 
stand  to  the  southeast,  which  would  most  certainly  have 
brought  us  to  grief,  but  I  told  him  to  keep  quiet  and  I  would 
stand  boss  awhile,  and  by  stretching  to  the  west,  then  to  the 
southeast,  and  repeating  this  maneuver,  we  succeeded  in 
weathering  the  outer  shoals,  the  most  dangerous  on  the  whole 
coast. 

Tile  ne.xt  day  being  Independence  I)tiy  the  old  chap  re- 
marked, wliile  nipping  his  champagne,  that  we  were  more 
independent  than  he  expected  to  have  been  one  s[)ell  last 
ni'^ht. 

S  '11  he  would  continue  to  alter  the  course,  and  when 
we  m  le  Cape  Hatteras,  which  is  no  place  for  fooling  as 
many  ell  know,  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  we  were 
headir  ;  inside  of  the  light  and  had  to  brace  up  and  haul  off 
for  a  long  distance. 

But  after  rounding  the  cape  we  proceeded  safely  past 
jVIontauk,  and  again  the  old  skipper  was  determined  to  have 
his  way,  and  instead  of  stopping  at  New  London  to  lighten, 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Story, 


23 


as  was  customary,  he  said    steer   tor  Saybrook  and  proceed 
to  1  larlford. 

This  was  a  j^^ood  move  for  the  river  was  hij^di,  ami  al- 
though drawintjr  fourteen  feet  of  water,  we  proceeded  as  far 
as  Log  bar  without  lightening,  thereby  saving  detention  and 
expense  to  the  owners. 

Another  voyage  was  already  planned  by  our  enterpris- 
ing firm  to  Surinam,  Dutch  Guiana,  with  assorted  in-board 
carg.7  and  a  deck-load  of  horses,  and  Captain  Douglass  was 
to  command  and  I  was  to  be  his  mate. 

We  had  a  very  good  run  until  we  had  reached  the  lati- 
tude of  twenty-seven  degrees  north,  longitude  fifty-five  do 
grees  west,  which  was  the  meridian  of  the  port  to  which  we 
were  bound,  when  we  were  caught  in  one  of  those  violent 
hurricanes  to  which  this  part  of  the  ocean  is  subject,  com- 
mencing on  the  morning  of  the  twenty-third  of  August.  It 
blew  a  strong  breeze  the  previous  night,  but  about  three 
o'clock  A.  M.  the  wind  increased  fearfully  and  the  seas  ran 
terribly  high. 

Not  being  able  to  lay  to  we  scud  under  a  very  little  sail. 

That  blowing  away  we  continued    under  bare   poles,  jawing 

much,  until  a  heavy  sea  striking  her  port  (piarter  she  broached 

to  and  fell  over  on   her  boam  ends  with   the  horses  llounder- 

ing  in  the  water. 

W'e  cut  the  main  rifririnti:  and  the  main-mast  fell  with  a 
crash,  and  she  righted  and  fell  off  before  the  wind. 

After  this  the  captain  took  an  extra  nipper  and  stowed 
himself  away,  whihi  the  wind  roared  like  steam  from  an 
escape  valve,   and    I  steered   the  entire  ni;;;ht,  my  endeavor 


24 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Story. 


beinsr  to  keep  her  directly  before  the  wind  and  sea.  It  was 
no  easy  matter,  for  beino^  deeply  ladcMi  she  labored  fearfully 
and  the  steering;-  apparatus  was  only  the  old  fashioned  tiller 
and  tackhts.  Sometimes  my  fatigue  was  so  nr(;at  that  I  was 
tempted  to  abandon  my  jjost,  but  knowiuL,^  that  c(;rtain  de- 
struction would  inevitably  ensue  I  d(>termin(*d  to  hold  out  as 
lono-  as  I  could.  Daylight  broujj^ht  no  relief  to  our  shattered 
bark.  The  gale  raging  no  less  fiercely  great  gloom  was 
upon  us. 

The;  next  morning  our  supercargo  decided  to  throw  the 
horses,  fifty-six  in  number,  into  the  raging  deep,  an  opera- 
tion which  was  performed  with  great  difliculty. 

It  was  sad  to  s(;e  th(^  [)oor  brutes  struggling  in  the;  sea 
with  their  h(;ads  thrown  frantically  out  of  water,  but  our  ha\- 
was  washed  away  and  tin;  salvation  of  our  lives  seemed  to 
demand  the  sacrifice  of  theirs, 

Frecid  of  their  w(Mght  th(;  brig  lalxjred  less  heavil}-,  and 
th(;  wind  subsiding  a  little  1  was  reliex'ed  from   the  helm. 

The  captain  then  called  on  me  to  lix  one  of  the  cabin 
windows,  the  dead-light  being  broken  and  a  sea-bed  jammed 
into  it. 

I  had  been  at  the  helm  ov(;r  twenty-foui  hours  and  felt 
exhausted,  and  thought  the  drunken  ca[)tain  might  fix  Iiis 
own  window  ;  !)ut  as  we  had  no  second  mate?  I  crawlcnl  for- 
ward through  the  manger  and  obtained  a  piece  of  board,  but 
a  gust  struck  me  on  m)-  wa)'  back,  and  inst(\-ul  of  blowing 
away  with  the  board  I  let  the  board  blow  awa\  without  mv 
company.      1  steered,   after  a    f(;\v    hv)urs'  relief,  until    about 


TJic  Old  Sailor  s  Story. 


niidni_L;ht,  the  brij4-  steerint^  baJly  and  shipping;  a  great  deal 
of  water. 

1  then  \v(.'nt  below  for  dry  clothintj  and  some  refresh- 
ment. Captain  Lester  informed  me  that  the  wind  liail 
blown  from  all  points  of  the  compass,  it  bein_Lj  a  re^idar  cy- 
clont!  and  a  tremendous  one. 

At  nine  o'clock  the  next  morninL,^  th(;  !j;^al(?  broke  and  the 
sea  smoothed  down  almost  immediatcdy,  and  we  turned  our 
attention  to  clearint^  up  th<'  wreck. 

The  brii,''  l)ets(;y  Dole,  of  Middletown,  which  \\v  had 
spoken  three  days  before  the  i^ale,  was  one;  of  ma:i)-  \(;ssels 
that  were  lost   with  all  hands,  and  never  h(!ard  of  more. 

We  ri(;i^ed  a  jury-mast  and  in  a  crippled  condition  made 
our  wa)-  back  to  the  American  coast. 

One  nij^ht  we  were;  run  into  b\'  a  ship  which  s^avc  us  a 
L;lancinjj[  blow,  bn^akin;^  top  timbers  and  cat-head  and  rob- 
bing- us  of  out;  anchor  ;  but  in  just  one  month  from  the  time 
\\(\  sailec'.  we  reentered  th(i  harbor  of  X(;w  Lomlon  .Scjjtem- 
ber  13th,  A.  1).  iS2~.  havinj^  sur.ived  one  of  the  most  se- 
\>-\X(\  _L!,ales  on  r(;'^ord,  and  makiuL,'^  whiK;  absent  a  circuit  of 
mor(!  than  two  thousand  five  hundred  miles. 

The  enterprisinLj  owners  wishinLj  to  prosecute  this  vo\- 
aju'  bought  the  brii;  ('jo\('rnor  (iriswold,  to  whicli  our  in- 
board cari;o  was  transferretl  with  additions,  and  taking;  sixty 
horses  on  deck  we  had  a  fair  passa_L,fe  to  the  mouth  of  the; 
Surinam   l\i\-er. 

1  he  captain  and  supercari^^o  proceeded  to  the  town, 
about  twent)'  miles,  and  made  arran_!4<Mnents  lor  the  transler 


26 


The  Old  Sailor's  Story. 


of  our  carL;o  to  Demcrara,  which  port  at  this  tiine  was  closed 
to  American  vessels. 

A  part  of  their  arranij^ements  was  for  us  to  proceed  to 
the  little  river  which  forms  the  boundary  lietween  the  Eng- 
lish and  Dutch  colonies,  forty  miles  nearer  Demerara  than 
the  mouth  of  the  .Surinam.  To  that  place  we  proceeded 
and  our  carj^o  was  taken  from  us  in  small  vessels.  We  con- 
tinued there  about  three  weeks  and  suffered  untold  aL(_i;rava- 
tion  and  inconvenience  on  account  of  the  mosquitoes  which 
were  very  lar^e,  very  numerous  and  very  blood-thirsty. 

One  ni^ht  our  cabin-boy  went  into  the  cabin  to  set  the  ta- 
ble for  tea,  but  the  stern  windows  beins.;  open  the  mos(]ui- 
toes  had  literally  taken  possession,  and  the  poor  latl,  with 
howls  of  raij^e,  beat  an  imj^lorious  retreat,  leavini^  all  the  in- 
sects which  could  not  possibl)'  fasten  to  ever)-  exposed  [)art 
of  his  [)erson, 

That   nit>ht   we  drank  our  tea  on  deck  under   the  awn- 


nv";. 


After  unloadiuL,^  we  proceeded  to  the  Rio  tie  la  Ilatche, 
where  llour  at  that  time  was  worth  fifty  tlollars  [)er  barrel, 
but  unfortunately  we  had  none  to  sell.  We  loaded  there 
with  dye-woods,  which  were  brouL^ht  to  us  in  the  night,  and 
setting  sail  for  home  January  loth,  A.  I).  1S28,  we  proceeded 
until  detained  by  fog  in  the  \icinity  of  somewhere. 

When  the  fog  lightc;d  we  sighted  (la)'  1  lead,  and  hav- 
ing strong  westerl)'  winds  we  took  a  [)ilot  ami  put  into  I'ar- 
paulin  cove. 

After  being  tletained  three  or  four  da\s  we  jjroceedcd 
to  New  London,  arriving  there  about  the  twelfth  of  I'ebruary. 


TIic  Old  Sailor  s  Sforv, 


Thu  operation  of  takiiij^  the  jjilot  cost  the  owners  about 
sixty-five  dollars. 

We  then  loaded  for  Cuba  with  hoi^s  on  deck,  sailinL,^  in 
March,  and  after  a  common  kind  of  [^assan^e  we  arrived  at 
Matanzas  where  we  took  in  a  full  car^o  of  sui^ar  and  molas- 
ses, with  which  we  returned  after  a  r(;markably  ([uick  passaii^e. 

Con<rress  had  recentl)'  enacted  a  new  tariff  law  doubling 
the  duties  on  foreign  imports,  to  take  t;ffect  on  the  first  of 
the  next  July.  So  we  took  in  a  lij^dit  cariro  for  Cuba,  and  it 
beinj^  the  middle  of  May  we  were  in  a  hurry,  but  we  had  a 
long  passage.  However,  the  agent  loaded  us,  with  instruc- 
tions to  hasten  to  the  nearest  American  port,  and  we  had  the 
satisfaction  of  arriving  at  Charleston  June  30th,  A.  I).  1.S28. 
After  unloading  we  proceeded  to  New  London  where  we  ar- 
rived about  the  twentieth  of  July. 

The  next  vo)age  was  to  the  windward  West  Indies 
where  we  ilischarged  cargo  for  trans-shipment  to  Demerara. 
Sailing  about  the  middle;  of  August  we  arrived  at  St.  Bar- 
tholomew's about  the  middle  of  September,  Shii)ping  the 
bulk  of  our  cargo  ami  selling  what  suited  the  market  in  that 
place,  we  proceeded  with  the  balance  to  La  Ciua)ra  in  V^ene- 
/uela,  at  the  foot  of  the  Caraccas  mountains,  the  distance 
from  the  seaport  to  the  capital  being  twelve  miles  by  a  zig- 
zag road. 

;\11  merchandise  has  to  be  conveyt.'d  on  the  backs  of 
sure-footed  mules,  antl  if  tlie  mule  shoulil  lost;  his  foothold, 
he  and  his  ridt-r  and  his  lading,  which  is  sometimes  a  barrel 
of  beef  would  be  tiashed  on  the  rocks  many  hundred  feet 
below. 


28 


The  Old  S(i//or's  S/orv, 


La  Guayra  has  an  open  roadstead,  bcini;'  only  a  lonjj^ 
bend  in  the  land  and  tin;  s\v(^ll  from  the  north  rolls  in  heavil)-. 
We  were  there;  in  Sc;ptember,  with  the  sun  at  meridian,  al- 
most directly  overhc^ad,  and  to  say  the  least  it  was  hot.  Ihe 
retlection  of  the  sun  from  the  moimtain  side  could  be  sensi- 
bly f(dt  throuj^h  two  thicknesses  of  sail-cloth  awninj^. 

After  dis[)osinL^  of  all  that  we  could  sell  to  ad\anta<j^e 
we  proceeded  to  Porto  Cabello  where  w(;  fouml  a  sj^ood  har- 
bor but  no  market  for  our  dry  t^oods.  It  took  us  seven  hours 
to  wei_i(h  our  anchor  at  this  place,  for  an  old  rusty  ship's  an- 
chor, which  would  weit^h  three  thousand  pounds,  was  at- 
tach (;d  to  ours,  looking;  old  enou'^h  to  havx;  been  left  ihvrr. 
b)-  Columbus  on  his  thirtl  voj-ajLi^e,  whcMi  he  discovered  th(i 
continent  near  this  place. 

We  touched  at  Curacoa  when;  w(;  found  no  market  for 
our  Ljoods,  and  as  a  last  resort  we  ijroceetUxl  to  Port  llatche, 
where  we  sold  what  wv.  could  and  loaded  with  dye-wood  for 
home,  where  we  arrived  in  November,  about  the  time  of  the 
election  of  Cieneral  Jackson  as  President  f)f  th(;  United 
States. 

Banu^s  &  Kilburn   had   failctl  and  1  was  out  of  emplo)- 
UKMit,  but  I  purchased  a  small    interest  in  a  sloop   calh^d  th(! 
Juno,  and    took  a  load    of   potaLocs  to    Philad(;I[)hia   in    De- 
cember. 
"*'  Returninjj^  home   in   Januar)',  A.    1).    iSjc;,  1  laid    by  a 

s[)ell,  but  in  the   latter  part  of    bCbruary  took    in  a  (piantity 
'^    of  ic(;,  hackc;d   out  in  all    shap(;s,  and    startetl  for  Sa\annah, 
Cia.      TIk;  ice   m(;lt(;d   consiilerabl)'  and   sold  to  poor  ad\an- 
tag'e,  there  beinj^  no  ic(j-house  in  the  place  to  store  it    in  ex- 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Slory. 


29 


ceptinii^  oik;  bctlonoino-  to  a  Boston  ice  company  who  monopo- 
lized the  trach'.  1  mack;  a  short  river  trip;  thence  a  trip  to 
and  from  Norfolk  with  corn  ;  tht.Mice  to  Philadelphia  with 
cotton  and  rice  in  compan)-  with  tlu;  schooner  Spark,  Ca|)- 
tain  Charles  Poole  ;  th(Mic(!  a  car^o  to  New  \'ork ;  thence;  a 
carjj^o  to  New  London  ;  and  from  there  I  proceeded  to  Bos- 
ton with  a  load  of  oil. 

Arrivinjr  home  I  ov(;rhauled  the  sloop,  and  times  bein_n' 
dull  laid  up  for  a  while 

I  had  an  offer  to  take  charge  of  a  hri^  to  1  )emerara,  but 
Mr.  Lawrence  and  NLijor  Williams,  who  owned  part  of  the 
slooj),  made  me  out  a  frtiis^ht  for  Philadeli)hia,  and  I  re- 
turned with  the  s(;cond  car^o  of  coal  ever  discharged  at  New 
London,  and  this  was  in  August,  A.  1).   iS2lj. 

On  the  twenty-fifth  of  October  I  was  master  of  theschoontT 
Spark,  of  (;ii'ht\'  tons  burthen,  bound  on  a  sealin<>-  \()\a<'"e 
to  the;  South  Atlantic.  My  officers  were  lulward  P.  1  )ew)', 
of  Stonini^ton,  first  mate  ;  (leonm;  Brewster,  second  mate;  Al- 
fred Allyn,  of  Led)artl,  third  mate.  ( )nc;  Chase,  cooper, 
and  .Samuel  Cooley,  steward.  .Amoni^"  the  seanuMi  were 
Strong-  1  lolt,  of  New  London,  afterwards  a  succ(;ssful  whaling 
captain,  who  was  drowned  from  a  pleasure  bo.it  in  I'isher's 
Island  .Sound  ;  Samuel  I  lart,  William  1  lanks,  ( jeorge  Kings- 
bury, and  William  1  lall,  who  aft(M-wards  became  a  law)-er,  all 
of  llartfonl,  aiul  live  others,  making  a  total  of  si.\t(;en  to 
man  a  little  schooner  which  could  be  easil)'  managcil  b)-  two 
m(;n  and  a  bo)'  in  ordinary  weather. 

Aft{;r  twenty-three   days  we  arrived  at  one  of  the  C.'ip<' 
De  \  erde    Islands  where  we    iound  two  sealing  Mssels,  the 


30 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Slow. 


brig  Seraph,  of  Stonington,  and  the  schooner  General  Put- 
nam, of   Newhuryport. 

Procuring  three  hundred  bushc^ls  of  salt  we  mated  with 
the  IVitnam  and  proceeded  for  sealing  grounds.  Crossing 
the  ecjuator  in  the  longitude  of  (.'ighteen  degrees  west,  we 
proceeded  with  more  or  less  celerity  and  arrived  on  the 
barren  coast  of  Africa,  in  the  latitude  of  twenty-six  degrees 
south,  on  January  14th,  A.  I).  18,^0, 

At  that  place  is  a  small  ishunl,  a  mile  or  more  from  the 
coast,  on  the  inside  of  which  there  is  a  fair  anchorage.  'I'his 
island,  called  Ichabo,  is  the  rendezvous  of  millions  of  sea- 
birds,  which  there  lay  their  eggs  and  hatch  their  young ;  and 
we  obtained  at  this  time  and  aft(^rwards  cpiantities  of  eggs, 
many  of  which  are  excellent  for  food.  The  birds  were  so 
thick  as  to  prevent  our  trave.ing  on  shore  without  first  beat- 
ing a  par.sage  way  with  our  seal-clubs,  and  yet  we  endeavored 
not  to  hurt  them,  although  the\'  regardetl  us  as  intruders 
and  attacked  us  with  ferocity,  scratching  and  biting  with 
such  effect  as  to  draw  blood  through  the  legs  of  our  [)anta- 
loons. 

We  were  plentiful!}'  supplied  with  eggs  during  the  fif- 
teen months  that  we  were  on  this  coast,  our  men  eating 
gulls'  and  penguins'  eggs  without  much  distinction,  although 
the  former  are  much  superior. 

We  had  arrived  at  this  island  too  late  for  this  season, 
for  an  examination  of  the  shori;  revi;aled  about  a  th(nisand 
carcasses  of  seal  which  had  been  deprived  of  their  skins  by 
these  who  had  arrived  there  on  a  simiUir  errand  to  ours. 


The  Old  Sailors  Slpry 


A  few  words  descriptive  of  seal  and  sealing  may  not  be 
amiss  in  this  conncxtion. 

The  males,  called  wigs,  are  much  larger  than  the  females, 
and  weigh,  when  full  grown,  from  fifty  to  eighty  pounds. 

The  females,  called  clapmatches,  weigh  from  four  to  ten 
pounds,  and  commence  breeding  when  they  are  three  years 
of  age. 

Ihe  males  come  on  shore  about  the  tirst  of  November 
and  land  short  distances  from  each  other  all  along  the 
coast  of  the  uninhabited  islands  or  reiiions  which  form  their 
breeding  grounds.  A  few  days  after  this  the  females  emerge 
from  the  water  and  are  escorted,  after  a  tierce  battle  anions' 
the  males  who  are  stationed  in  the  vicinity,  b)'  the  victo- 
rious male  who  escorts  the  newly-arrived  female  to  a  secure 
phice. 

At  this  time  the  males  are  very  savage  and  will  l)ite 
through  each  others  napes  which  are  of  the  thickness  of  a 
man's  hand.  Some  are  killed  in  the  conllicts.  which  seems 
unwarrantal)le,  for  the  females  instead  of  being  few  are  nu- 
merous in  comparison  with  the  males,  and  average  about 
twenty  of  the  former  to  one  of  the  latter. 

The  coast  was  well  sealed  and  we  coukl  onlv  <'lean  a 
few  from  the  roughest  rocks. 

Six  days  passed  and  our  c(Misort,  the  Putnam,  arri\eil; 
anil  as  we  were  likeh'  to  fall  short  of  water,  this  being  a  bar- 
ren, sandy  coast,  without  rain  ofteiier  than  once  a  year,  wc; 
put  our  water-casks  and  our  mate  on  board  of  her  and  des- 
patched  her  south  to  vSaldana  Ha)-,  while  her  captain  came 


32 


TJic  Old  Sailor  s  Story 


on  board  of  our  vessel  and  proceeded  with  us  to  seal  aK>ng 
the  coast. 

We  found  a  few  seal  at  each  landing,  but  as  our  con- 
sort did  nt)t  arrive  in  due  time  we  beat  towards  Saldana 
Bay,  the  wind  constant!)-  prevailing  from  the  south,  and  on 
our  arrival  there  found  tht;  Putnam  had  left,  and  the  whale 
ship  Dauphin,  Captain  lluzzey,  of  Nantuckc^t,  lying  in  the 
harbor  with  the  captain  on  shore  recruiting  his  health. 

At  night,  in  a  sudden  scpiall  from  the  southwest,  the  old 
Dauphin  parted  her  cabh;  and  before  the  second  anchor 
could  be  cast  out  she  was  nearly  in  the  breakers  ;  the  second 
cable  parted  and  in  less  than  an  hour  she  was  a  compk^tc; 
wreck,  with  her  masts  all  gone  and  deck  uptorn,  for  being 
an  old  ship  with  a  new  top,  the  new  part  left  the  old  and 
parted  comjiany  in  a  hurry. 

The  captain  rode  down  the  next  day  and  viewing  the 
wreck,  cpiite  coolly  rcMiiarked  that  if  he  pulled  out  his  hair 
and  threw  it  into  the  fire  that  would  not  ukmkI  the  matter. 
So  he  r(!turned  to  his  (luarters  aftt;r  invinLT  some  directions 
to  Mr.  Russell  his  mate. 

Th(;  nc'xt  day  I  called  on  Mr.  Marsh,  the  magistrate 
and  chief  man  of  this  JMiglish  out-post,  who  entertained  me 
very  civilly,  and  having  pri^cured  souk;  wood  from  the  wreck, 
and  filled  our  spare  casks  with  water  of  a  poor  (piality,  \)XO- 
ceedcd  to  Angra  Pecpiena  harbor,  whert;  we  found  our  con- 
sort and  obtained  from  her  our  casks  of  water  on  March 
iSth,  A.  D.  1S30. 

It  being  betwe(Mi  season,  I  concluded  toreturn  to  Saldana 
Bay,  if  possible,',  before  the  auction  of  the  effects  saved  from 


TJic  Old  Sailor  s  Story 


00 


the  Dauphin.  iH'injrin  want  of  an  anchor;  and  the  l'iitnan\ 
with  my  second  mate;  and  boat's  crew,  procet^ded  to  seal 
alonij[  the  coast,  \\'(!  ])rociired  an  anchor  from  the  wreck  of 
the  1  )aiiphin,  also  a  main-top-sail,  which  we  alte^red  into  a 
main-sail  for  our  schooner. 

But  minute  account  of  any  voyaii^e  are  too  prolix  and 
tedious  for  j^eneral  readini^-.  so  I  will  ,y^ive  a  few  extracts  from 
memoranda  which  possibly  ma)'  b(,'  interesting  to  some  and 
of  less   interest  to  others. 

On  the  lifth  of  April,  A.  O.  1830,  natives  or  Hottentots 
came  twelve  da)s'  journey  from  the  interior  to  the  harbor  of 
Angra  where  we  were,  with  cattle  and  sheep  to  barter  for 
powder  and  ball  for  hunting  purposes. 

We  bought  Ine  neat  cattle  and  two  sheep,  paying  two 
junk  bottles  of  powder  each  for  the  former  and  one;  bottle 
apiece  for  the  latter. 

On  th(;  sixth  of  Ma)'  the;  captain  of  tlu*  Putnam  sent 
word  that  he  should  dissolve;  [)artnershi[)  with  us  from  that 
date. 

lie  had  discovered,  as  we  afterwards  learnc^d,  what  he 
supposed  was  a  gold  mint;,  but  which  proved  to  be  a  worth- 
less niineral  substance,  as  he  found  after  taking  a  ([uantity  of 
it  to  Cape  Town  to  hav(;  it  tested. 

I'Vom  this  time  until  September  6th,  when  we  again 
joined  in  partnership,  we  took  from  five  to  six  hundrctd  se.. - 
skins,  no  part  of  which  belonged  to  th(;  I'utnani  and  her  of- 
ficers and  crew. 

On  the  thirteenth  we  obtainetl  one  himdred  and  sevent)'- 
five  hea\)  fur  seal-skins. 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Story. 


The  whole  coast  of  this  re<fion  is  a  sand)-  desert,  and 
the  natives  who  wander  to  and  alonij;  shore,  coming  several 
days'  journey  from  the  interior,  are  the  most  miserable  speci- 
mens of  humanity  I  have  ever  seen.  They  like  tobacco  and 
will  barter  anything-  they  possess  to  procure  it.  They  are 
nearly  or  quite  naked,  oil  themselves  from  head  to  foot,  and 
eat  birds'  eggs,  offal,  or  anything  they  can  procure  to  sustain 
their  miserable  e.xistence. 

They  offer  in  trade  ostrich  egg-shells,  from  which  the\- 
have  extracted  the  inside  through  a  hole  in  owe  end,  and 
also  feathers  of  the  largest  known  bird  ;  but  the  feathers,  like 
themselves,  are  in  a  dirty,  greasy  and  unpresentable  condi- 
tion. 

On  November  2  I  St  we  took  two  hundred  and  thirty-four 
prime  seal-skins;  December  29th,  two  hundred  and  thirty 
seal-skins  ;  December  31st.  two  hundred  and  fifty  skins.  So 
ends  the  year  of  our  Lord  1830. 

January  1st,  A.  D.  i83i,took  five  hundred  skins;  March 
2d  we  took  seven  hundred  and  forty  skins,  which  was  a  good 
days  work  and  attended  with  great  labor  and  excitement. 

On  March  21st,  at  four  o'clock  P.  M.,  we  bore  away  for 
North  America  with  all  sail  set  and  all  hands  in  the  best  of 
humor.  We  were  glad  to  bid  adieu  to  th.e  wearisome  em- 
ployments and  enjoyments  of  African  life,  and  with  a  fair 
wind  we  were  soon  goincj  at  the  rate  of  nine  knots. 

The  sailing  from  the  coast  of  Africa,  in  latitude  twentj- 
five  degrees  south,  to  the  ecpiator,  in  good  weather  and  with 
a  fair  wind  for  three  thousand  miles,  is  the  most  pleasant 
sailing  I  have  ever  experienced. 


The   Old  Sailor  s  Story 


35 


On  the  twenty-ninth  of  March  we  stopped  at  Jamestown, 
the  only  port  of  the  ishincl  of  St.  Helena,  where  1  was  very 
kindly  received  and  entertain(;d  l)y  th(.'  American  vice-consul, 
William  Carroll,  Ms(i.  Her(;  I  sold  three  casks  of  bread 
and  obtained  fresh  veijetables  for  the  crew,  who  had  lil)erty 
on  shore  and  a  dollar  apiece  for  spending  mone)'.  I  made 
a  visit  to  Bonaparte's  tomb  ;  and  the  next  day,  haviny^<^ot  all 
hands  on  board,  who  were  inclined  to  be  wild  and  mutinous 
until  they  recovered  from  the  effects  of  that  for  which  they 
had  spent  their  dollars,  at  twelve  o'clock  noon  St.  Helena  bore 
southeast  by  south,  five  leagues  distant,  from  which  we  took 
a  new  departure. 

I'rom  March  30th  to  April  12th  we  averaged  upwards 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  per  clay,  then  baffling,  variable 
winds  until  the  nineteenth,  when  we  took  the  northeast  trade 
winds  in  latitude  six  degrees  fourteen  minutes  north,  and  pro- 
ceeded on  our  way  rejoicing. 

We  navigated  by  dead  reckoning  and  lunar  observa- 
tions, and  proceeded  towards  our  destination  at  the  rate  of 
nearly  two  hundred  miles  a  da)'.  On  the  twenty-fifth  found 
the  head  of  the  main-mast  sprung  and  reefed   the  main-sail. 

On  the  twenty-sixth  found  the  skins  heating  in  the  af- 
ter hold  and  overhauled  them. 

On  the  third  of  May  we  passed  the  ikrmudas  about 
forty  miles  to  the  west  of  us. 

On  the  sixth  spoke  the  schooner  Amanda  Malvina 
from  Charleston  for  Boston.  His  longitude  differed  mate- 
rially from  mine.  He  was  only  five  days  out  of  port  and 
three  degrees  east  of  his  reckoning,  having  been  swept  along 


3^^ 


TJic  Old  Sailor  s  Story 


1)\-  tht;  Ciiilf  Stream  for  which  In;  hail  not  made  due  allow- 
ance, while  I,  not  havinj^  had  no  new  departure  since  leaving 
St.  Helena,  was  not  t(Mi  miles  from  my  reckoning. 

So  much  for  lunar  ()l)ser\ations  when  corr(;ctly  takcMi. 

On  May  loth,  at  daylight,  we  had  th(!  joyful  sight  and 
sound  of '•  Land  Hoi"  and  Block  Islaml  bore  north  about 
fifteen  miles  distant. 

At  three  P.  M.  Samuel  Hart  was  washed  owrboanl 
from  the  jib-boom,  in  the  Ract^rip,  but  with  the  assistance;  of 
Strong  Holt,  who  seized  the  end  of  a  \\\\v.  and  swam  to  him, 
he  was  soon  rescued. 

We  anchored  in  New  London  ^L'^y  loth,  A.  1).  1S31, 
after  an  absence  of  more  than  a  year  and  a  half,  having 
made  a  satisfactory  voyage  to  the  owners  and  all  concerned. 

After  recruiting  awhile,  my  friend  Captain  John  Poole, 
of  New  London,  who  had  built  a  schooner  of  about  eighty 
tons,  called  the  Talma,  induced  me  to  go  in  her  with  his  son, 
Charles  Poole,  in  the  southern  coasting  trade.  W'l;  startetl  in 
July,  carried  cheese  to  Norfolk  and  Baltimore,  and  returnetl 
home  with  pine  wood  rnd  watermelons. 

Our  next  trip  was  to  Philadelphia,  whence  we  conveyed 
coal  to  New  York,  and  arrived  at  New  London  earl_,'  in  Se|)- 
tember. 

We  next  took  seven  hundred  bushels  of  potatoes  and 
twenty-six  tons  of  cheese  for  the  latt;  Captain  Acors  liarncs, 
of  New  London,  from  Norwich  to  Norfolk  and  Baltimore, 
Captain  Barnes  taking  passage  with  us. 

Arriving  at  Norfolk  we  left  a  part  of  the  che(  s(!  with 
Anderson  c^  Coodrich  and  proc(;(;d{;d  to  Baltimore. 


T/ii    0/(/  S(i/7(>r\\  Si'crv. 


,■>/ 


.h 


After  selling  tlv  rcniaiiidcr  of  our  cari^o  then' we  loaded 
witli  tloiir  lor  Now  \  ork.  W C  next  sailed  on  I  )eceiiil)er 
c)th.  with  ail  assorted  c:arL;()  and  a  lew  j  assen^crs,  Ironi  New 
\'ork  to  lla\ana,  and  had  a  nine  da\s  passage.  W C  wen- 
detained  in  1  la\ana  some  time,  owin^  partlx  to  the  Cuban's 
()l)ser\  ance  ol  the  holidax  season,  ;ind  then  went  to  New 
(  )rleans  with  a  load  of  coi'tee  and  sui^ar.  In  Ichruar)',  iSj;2, 
we  made  a  short  trip  u])  the  rixcr  lor  molasses  lor  a  Nf.-w 
Orleans  ilistiller)'  ;  and  business  beine  (luil  we  j)ur('hased,  at 
Ha\'()u  Lal'Ouche,  a  full  car^o  of  molasses  on  the  \css(d's  ac- 
count, and  after  bein^  detained  a  loni;  time  in  loadim^'.  after 
a  Ioiil;'  passage  arrixcd  at  New  London  al.'oiit  |une  ist,  A. 
1).    I  S3  2. 

I  had  three  applications  to  <^()  sealiiiL;,  and  Captain  !'oole 
findine'    he  could  tlispose  ol  the    Talma  to  ^ood  acKantaj^-'  if 
I  would  l;(»  in  her,  which  1  consented  to  do,  sold    her  to  Mr. 
Joseph    Lawrence    with    whom  1    made    arrangements    for  a 
prett\'  o()od  la\'  ami  bonus. 

We  sailed  in  the  latter  part  ol  jnl\,  at  the  height  of  th(; 
first  cholera  in  New  \()rk,  and  althoueh  most  of  m\-  crew 
W(;re  from  that  city  we  had  no  cases  ol  it  on  board.  My 
mates  were  Stephen  Perkins,  of  Ciales  bCrry  ;  John  Mill,  of 
Stoninsj^ton  ;  and  ( )rlando  Holies,  ol  New  London,  tirst,  sec- 
ond and   third    rc^spectixcK'. 

We  arri\'(nl  at  the  Cajx'  I  )e  \'erde  Islands  alter  cpiite  a 
len!L;th_\'  passage,  where  we  obtained  salt.  Leaxin^'  the 
islands  we  had  constant  southerl\  wintls  antl  muth  unpleas- 
ant w(!ather  until  r.ear  the  ecpiator,  which  1  ihink  wc- crossed 
on  the  twentieth  of  September,  vvitJi   the  siyi  vertical.      We 


itftti 


38 


The  0/t^  Siii/ors  S/orv. 


had  adverse  winds  and  he  a\  y  weather  imich  of  the  time  un- 
til we  had  passed  the  mouth  of  the  La  Fhita,  when  the 
weather  h(x'ame  more  mild,  it  heiuL,^  then  past  the  middle  of 
October. 

We  siohte-d  Ciape  Corrienti^s.  and  with  a  frc^sh  north- 
erl)'  wind  ran  down  tin-  coast  of  Patagonia  to  St.  Jose|)h's 
Peninsula  ami  sent  the  boats  in  shore  to  e.\plore. 

The  boats  re'tu.rned,  havinL:^  seen  onl)'  a  few  hair  lions  on 


th 


e  Oeacnes. 


W 


e  proceeded  soul 


wi 


d 


th,  anchoretl  in    .St.   Helena   harbor, 
e  wind  nortlUNist,  where  the  bottom  is  hard  aiul  tlint\'. 
and  went  on  shore  but  made  no  tliscox'er}'  of  seals. 

I  he    n(^\t    da\'  we    left  this  harbor  ami  went  south,  ex- 
amining rocks  and  islands,  but  found  no  seals. 

W'e   stood  in  for  (  )\(mi    liay,  a  narrow  creek,  where  we 
found  the  schooner  Union,  Captain  Clark,  of  Boston. 


th  th( 


W 


e  anchored  in 


th 


IS 


harbor,  which  is  suul;'  and  has  ex- 


cellent holdinL;-  oroumls. 


1 


eavin*''   liere  we   co 


f 


^y 


Wl 


th    tl 


1    fi 


le   wind    Irom 


nlinucd  south,  across  .St.  Geori.|^e's 
northwest,   where    tin-    tides    rise 
rom    twenty  to  lhirt\-  feet,  and    iht;  current   s(;ts   north   and 
south  at  the  rate  of  three  or  four  milc;'>  an  hour. 

We    rounded  Cape    IManco    and  went    to  Staten    Laml, 
where  we  arrix'ed   about  November  ist. 

Ihis  island  is  a  lon^-  rid^c  of  mountain  pt;aks,  thirty 
miles  ill  length,  with  three  ^ood  harbors,  vi/.:  I'^ast  harbor, 
West  harbor,  and   Port  llatche. 

Ihe  practice  of  scaliiiL;  this  sland  is  to  leave  the  vessel 
in  one  ot    tile  harbors  and  w(»rk  the   l)(;aches  with  the  boats. 


The  Old  Sailors  Slfirv, 


Our  boats  tuted    out  antl  fell   in  with  a  boat's  crew  left  here 
b\'  schooner     Telesjranh.  of    l5ristol.   antl   the\-  i)roceeilecl   to 


seal  m  com]xiii\',  Init  ol)tainen 


but  I 


ew  skms 


ki 


In     I 


inu.u'\'    w 


(.'    crossed    the    Straits   of   Lt;Mar.   which 


separate  Staten  Land  from  Terra  del  I'uej^a),  a  danLjerous 
passaij^e  on  account  ot  its  \\v.  i\\-  tide-rip.  wht;re  Commodore 
Porter  nearly  foundered  the  fri^^atc  Hssex. 

Captain  Cutler,  in  the  sl(Kjp  Only  Son,  of  Stonint^ton, 
tountl  himself  one  day  driftini^f  into  this  dantjerous  rip  in  a 
calm.      He   closetl    his    hatches   and    all    places  where  water 


could 


ti  nd 


m<jress.  and    leavuvj 


his  d 


i)<ii  on  c 


leek 


wen 


t  bel 


ow 


with  his  crew.  The  little  craft  came  out  of  the  peril,  but  the 
doiT  was  missin^;'  and  cx-erNthin^Mjn  d(.'ck  that  was  not  firmly 
si'cured  ;  and  if  a  iIol;"  could  not  surxivc  the  peril  how  could 


a  man 


()n    the    third    da\-  from    Staten 


w 


ood    harbor,  a  tine 


harl 


)or  m  one  o 


Land 


f   tl 


we   anclioretl   m 


le  numerous  t>roui)s 


of  the    T.ira  de!  bue^o  archipt-la^o.       The  islands  are  hi^'h. 


roc 


i\\ 


an. 


we 


w 


ooded.    Ikuiii'l^  a.    plentiiul    sup| 


)lv   of  th(,' 


most  M;fres!iinL;  wat(,'r  I  e\'er  tasted.      Where  the  fresh  water 
empties  iiHo  th»r  salt  water  a  sort  of  oil  ris(;s  to  tlie   surface. 


Th 


)f  »1 


le  inhai)itants  of  tins  n-'-ion  are  a  de'frac. 


decl 


rac<;,  des- 


titute of  all  civilization,  easily  intimidateil,  subsisting;  on  tish 
and  mussels,  and  sjx'ndint;  much  ot  their  time  in  canoes 
m.ide  of  i)ark,  in  which  th(-\  ( arry  a  hea])  ol  sand,  dirt  and 
stones,  on  which  lhe\   kccj.  a  tin-  'onsi.mtly  burning'. 

This  population  in'.iabits  a  n-Ljion  of  moun'ainous  island- 
land  which    cNlends   s()me  innr  hmidrt'd   miles  on  the   South 


Atlantic  and  Souih  I'acili 


(■  i'()asis. 


li'-\'  ai"<'  as  s;idl\'  m  need 


4o 


Tlir   0/(i  Sai/or's  S/ory 


of  missionaries  as  an\'  jicoplc  on  the  face  of  tliis  terrestrial 
ball,  but  the  field  would  be  neither  lucrative  nor  self-sustaining'. 
The)'  express  no  (h'sire  to  leaxc  tlunr  countr\  ;  and  two 
younLi"  ttdlows  who  appeared  to  be  eiiL^litcen  or  twent)-  xcars 
of  a^e,  who  came  on  board  our  scliooner  one  tlay.  and  who 
were  baflled  in  their  attem|)ts  to  tind  the  monke\s  v!u<  i'  ;..>- 
peared  to  them  to  lurk  in  the  mirror  when  the\'  stoo.!  IjcKi.' 
it,  when  made  to  think  we  sought  their  al)duction,  how 'id  so 
piteousl)'  that  we  were  L;lad  to  free  them  from  our  compan)'. 

'Idle  number  of  th(.'se  hiunan  beings,  who  fare  we.rse 
than  the  brutes  of  most  parts  of  the  world,  is  hundreds  and 
perhaps  thousands.  A  mission  was  oiice  starteil  for  their 
benc;flt,  umler  the  auspices  of  the  Idi_n"lish  bpiscopalians, 
but  the  missionaries,  uriable  to  procure  supplies  needful  to 
life  and  health,  sickened  and  diccl,  tor  au^ht  I  know  ol 
star\ation. 

On  one  of  the  Diei^o  Islands  I  lost  a  \aluable  boy  named 
W.  v.  Husse)'.  He  went  with  the  male  and  nnself  on  to  n 
steep,  rock)'  island  to  procure  fowl,  w  hile  the  boat's  crew  laid 
off  at  a  short  distance  waiting  for  us.  TIk;  last  I  saw  of  him 
he  was  on  a  |)innacle  of  rock  wavint;  a  wounded  bird.  Proba- 
bly tin;  rock  on  which  he  stood  crundiled  with  his  weight, 
and  he  fell  into  the  water  ami  was  killed  or  sexcrel)  stunned 
1))'  the  fall.  lie  was  a  Sandwich  Islander  !>)■  birth  and  an 
ad(.'pt  at  di\in^  and  sw  imnun^Jtut  he  suildeid>' tllsappean  ■., 
ami  although  we  seai'i  lud  dilii^c  iul_\  lor  his  bod\  we  did  h(>i 
succetui  in  iindini'  it. 

W  (■    examined    the    rocks   and    ,sl;inds    i;,    this   region, 


\ 


fr. 
!• 
i.s 
we 

shi 
we 
the 
car 
eri 


S 


u 


mm 


The  Oh^  Sailors  Slor\ 


4t 


(nllcd  by  Captain  Cook,  I  )(;solalion  coast,  and  occasionally 
found  a  few  seal. 

\\'(;  oeneralh'  anchored  at  ni^ht,  for  tlu'  hays,  coves, 
and  islands  in  this  re^^ion  form  nian\-  e.\c(;llcMit  harbors,  and 
cruisinti;  in  the  nij^ht  is  perilous,  on  account  of  sudden  scpialls, 
which  are  of  frecjuent  occurrenct;  and  by  no  means  pleasant. 

We  |)rocured  some  provisions  in  Gren'ory's  Ha)',  Straits 
of  Maj^ellan,  of  the  I'ata^^onian  Indians,  a  <jitrantic  race,  far 
superior  in  size  and  strenjj^th  to  the  nati\es  of  Terra  del 
I'ueoo.  These  Indians  have  a  ver)-  hard\-  bren^d  of  horses 
that  will  stand  much  fatiij^ue  ;  and  after  takini^  apart)-  of 
them  on  board,  anions  whom  was  a  native  ([ueen.  and  f(.'ast- 
ing  them  on  rice  and  molasses,  of  which  th(;\  were  very  fond, 
the\-  agreed  to  furnish  i.s  with  dt^er  meat,  and  the)-  kept 
their  word,  bartering  this  luscious  commodit\'  for  retl  woolen 
shirts. 

After  replenishing  our  stock  of  provisions,  we  proceeded 
from  th<,'  .Straits  of  Magellan  in  May,  A.  1).  1S33,  for  the 
I'alkland  Islands.  We  found  plent)'  of  wild  gc;ese  on  these 
islands  and  easily  procured,  b)'  shooting,  all  the  goost;  llesh 
we  wanted. 

We  obtained  but  few  seal-skins,  and  what  we  had  we 
shipped  home  in  the  schooner  .Sun.  Captain  Trott.  Then 
we  went  to  work  to  get  more  ;  and  as  time  won,'  awa)'  and 
the  sealing  season  came  on.  we  succeedeil  in  getting  a  fair 
cargo.  We  \isited  the  South  .Shetlands,  whose  summits,  tow- 
ering high,  are  ahva)s  covered  with  snow.  We  had  some  op- 
position, for  sexcral  vessels  were  sealing  in  these  regions. 
Sonielinus   we    con.soiltd   with    one   or    more    xtsscls   and 


42 


TJic  Old  Sailor :"  Slow 


workeil  tOLjeLher  for  a  time  ;  sometimes  \\<\  left  a  boat's  crew 
with  cam])ini;'  utensils  and  proxisions  to  seal  ^«jnie  inhospit- 
able:, barren  or  uninhabited  island,  whih;  we  continued 
search  '.-.ewhere  :  s()mc;times  w<"  nMiiaincd  in  a  harlior  tor 
se\'eral    d  .t    a  tune  ;  a^ain    wc    were    lnis\'  m    procuring;' 

fuel,  water  mid  L;ame  ;  and  so  the  days,  weeks  ami  months 
passetl  away,  and  on  March  9th,  A.  1).  18^4.,  we  wc^re  home- 
ward bound. 

\\\:  cal!<d  at  l*crnaml)uc(>  for  fruits  and  vegetables.  We 
crossed  the  ecjuator  about  the  middle  ol  Ai)ril  and  arriwtl 
home  (.-arly  in  Ma\',  haxinj^'  a  speedy,  sate  passa«;e.  1  found 
ni\'  famiU'  well,  ami  the  voN'as^e  was  prohtable,  for  seal-skins 
brought  a  hi''h  price.  Thus  imhIs  a  teilious  twent.-two 
months'  xoxa^c. 

On  the;  twent\-eiL;hth  of  Jul)'  I  saiknl  on  an()tlu;r  \'oy- 
a!^('  in  the  schooner  l)etse\',  of  New  London,  with  a  comple- 
ment  of    twent\-onc;    men,  bound  on    a  sealinij-  and  whalino- 


\-o\'a<'e. 


We  stopped  at  the  Cape  De  \'erile''s  for  salt,  and  found 
that  the  peo[)le'  had  been  preserved  from  famine  by  the  provi- 
dential sui)pl)"  of  lar^e  numbers  of  small  lish. 

Their  crops  failed,  and  had  it  not  been  for  this  mirac  1- 
lous  su[)pl)'  of  food  the;  common  |)eoplc;  would  \va\v.  been 
without  sustenance. 

The  same  Divine  i*ow(,'r  that  sent  food  by  the  ravens  to 
the;  prophet  I'dijah  sent  lish  to  these  islanders,  and  ha\(^  we 
not  witnessed  the  workini^s  of  the  same  power  in  this  coun- 
tr\' ?  I'dr  when  wood  was  L;cllinL;  scarce  \-ery  rapidh',  bo 
hold  the  tlisc:o\  <'r\' ;iiul  iitili/iu;/  ol  our  imnn'iisc  coal  mines  ; 


The  0/(/  Sai/ors  S/a 


')'• 


43 


and  when  whales  \vt;rc  few  ami  lar  l)etwcen,  then  bubbles 
and  spouts  from  mother  earth  a  seemingly  inexhaustible  sup- 
])!)■  of  petroleum. 

These  islands  beloULT  to  I'ortUL-al  and  are  inhabited  by 
a  mi.\."d  race,  of  Portut^uese  and  African  descent  or  consent, 
(ioverao.  Martinez  and  his  family  were  the  onl\-  full-blooded 
Portusj^uese  which  I  saw  on  th(,'se  islaiuh 
sons  had  a  decidetlly  Hainish  appearance, 


UK  I  some   o 


f  h 


IS 


Pie-  was   c[uite    extensively    en^aj^^ed    in    the    salt    tratle, 


owning;  several  vessels  ;  one  ol 
taku 


th 


em  was  the  oh 


1  1 


•riL 


B 


oxer, 


))■  the  l'.nter|)rise  m  the  war  (jt  iSi 


th( 


A 


IKl 


liese  ves- 


sels conveved  cars^oes  of  salt  to  PortULial  and  Pra/.il, 


\Vh 


lie  we  were  here 


th« 


bru 


P 


impico,  Captain 


fol 


mes, 


o 


f    Mystic,  arrived,  and  after   j)rocurin^-  a  sufhcieiit  ([uantity 


o 


f  salt. 


we  sailed  in  company  w 


ith   h 


er.  she  ijcim 


)Oun(.i  on 


the  same  errantl  as  ourselves,  for  the  southwest  coast  of 
Africa.  We  crossed  the  e([uator  about  the  middle  of  .Sep- 
tember, and  after  siuhtiiiLr  the  islaiul  of  Ascension,  an  unu- 
sual  occurrence  on  this  passag'e,  we  took  the  south(;ast  trade 
winds,  which  blew  remarkably  stronij,  causing  us  to  make 
ra|)id  headway,  and  we  arrived  on  the  coast  in  ihe  vicinity 
of  Whale's  Ba\',  after  a  passage  of  sixty-hve  ili)s,  on  or 
about  (October  5th,  A.  D.  1S34.  We  stoppetl  at  PHi/abeth 
Bay,  where  we  procureil  a  sup[)l)'  of  birds  ami  cigi^s,  and  [)ro- 
ceeded  to  Angra  Pecpiena  Bay,  the  b(;st  harbor  on  the  whole 
coast,  to  which  I  have  formerlv  alluded  in  this  work. 


II 


ere  we    laiuuHl    surplus    [)rovisions,   s 


hook^ 


etc.,    anc 


sent  down  yards  and  prepared  for  crnisiiii;  ^enerall)'. 


14 


/"//<•  Old  Sai/or's  S/ory 


On  the  third  or  fourth  da)-  we  starteil  northward,  t'x- 
aminini;  rocks  and  islands  on  our  \\a\'  with  httlo  success. 

We  proceeded  to  Ichaho  Ishmd  where  w(;  found  plenty 
of  eo<rs,  and  crawfish,  a  sort  of  lobster  with  no  lar^ie  claws. 
We  went  to  Merciir)-  Island,  thenc(;  to  Hird  Island,  seventy 
miles  further,  the  farthest  off-shore  island  on  this  part  of  the 
coast,  where  th(,'  anchorage  is  bad  on  account  of  rock)-  bot- 
tom, and  the  surf  oftentimes  renders  landing  difficult  and 
dangerous.  Ilert;  we  [)rocuretl  a  few  seal;  then  skirted  the 
coast  back  to  Angra,  wht^e  we  set  up  cask  and  made  g(;ner- 
al  preparations  for  both  whaling  and  sealing. 

The  usual  time  of  the  seals  coming  on  shore  is  from 
the  tenth  to  the  twent\'-fifth  of  Novcmiber,  where  they  re- 
main, if  undisturbed,  se\eral  months,  or  until  the  )-oung, 
Avhich  are  ushered  into  existence  soon  after  the  landing,  are 
able  to  take  care  of  themseKes. 

They  generally  shed  their  coats  of  hair  in  I'\;bruar)-.  and 
the  pups  become  silver-gra)-  and  pass  as  yearlings  at  about 
eight  months  of  age. 

During  the  season  which  now  followed  we  found  the; 
seal  scarce  and  shy,  but  b)'  diligence  we  managed  to  secure 
some  eight  hundred  skins,  which  was  aslim  sttason's  work,  as 
we  had  the  whole  coast  to  ourselxes. 

Some  time  in  I'ebruar)-  the  ship  Hingham,  of  New  Lon- 
don, Captain  James  Smith,  arrived  in  our  vicinit)  s(;(;king 
for  whales  ;  and  the  brig  Tampico.  pre\  iousl)-  mentioned, 
also  arriv(;d,  with  whom  \\v.  consorted  for  a  time,  as  there 
was  but  little  chance  of  success  with  an)-  opposition. 

As  we  were    likel)  to  become  short  ol    water  I    kit  two 


r/u    Old  Sailors  Slorv 


45 


boat's  crews  in  charijc  <)l  ni\'  sccotitl  and  third  mates  to  seal 
in  conipan)'  with  the;  Tampico,  whiU;  I  prepared  to  heat  to 
Cape  Town,  a  tUstancc;  ol  six  hundr(;d  inik;s,  with  the  wind 
de,ail  ahead.  What  (h)  \()u  think,  w\\  cit\-  friend,  witli  water 
faucets  at  ever)-  crook  and  turn,  of  ha\int^  to  >^'ail  so  far,  with 
a  head  wind,  to  ^ct  something  to  drink  ? 

Some  of  tlie  men  wiiom  I  was  about  to  leave  grumbled 
and  desired  to  j^o  in  th.e  shi]).  their  object  being  to  desert  ; 
but  I  left  them,  ordering  the  mates  to  stop  their  allowance 
if  they  rebelled,  and  promising  them  a  jollification  in  case  of 
good  behavior  on  my  return.  We  macU;  the  trip  to  Cape 
Town  where  we  procured  water,  fruits  and  vegetables,  and 
on  our  return  found  affairs  all  straight. 

We  landed  our  water  on  Penguin  Islantl  where  we 
found  the  brig  Roscoe,  of  New  Px'dfortl,  waiting  for  whale 
to  onl\'  just  make  their  ai)pearance. 

The  Tampico,  being  a  short  distance  to  the  northward, 
arrived  two  da)s  after  ;  and  the  ships  Commodore  I'erry, 
Captain  llobron  ;  /Kronaut,  Captain  Mallorj-;  Atlas,  Cap- 
tain IniUer  ;  and  tlu:  Bingham,  Captain  Smith,  soon  after 
canu;  in. 

It  was  now  about  June  ist,  A.  1 ).  iSj^5,  andwe  con- 
sorted for  a  whiU.'  with  the  Bingham,  exchanging  our  first 
mates  with  their  boat's  crews,  and  cruisetl  up  antl  down  the 
coast  seeking  whales  and  fmding  none.  After  a  month  and 
a  half,  during  which  time  the  Bingham  secured  one  whale 
and  we  oni;  less,  we  concluded  whaling  was  rather  slim  ;  so  I 
started  on  a  cruise  to  the  southward,  doubled  tht;  Cape  of 
Good    Hope   antl  landeil  on    iJyer's    Island,  where  we  pro- 


46 


The  Old  Sailors  Story 


cured   seven    hundred  [)riine   seal-skins,  which   somewhat  re- 
vived our  droopini;  sjjirits. 

We  returned  to  An^ra,  having  procured  wood  at  Cape 
V'oltas  on  our  way.  and  found  the  Tampico  absent  on  a 
cruise  to  the  northward,  and  a  lioston  seaHng  schooner, 
Captain  Chirk,  in  the  harl)or. 

It  was  September,  and  as  no  seal  were  to  be  taken,  we 
(overhauled  and  painted  the  l)rig,  waiting  for  the  seal  to 
come  up,  occasionall)  examining  the  rocks  but  with  little  suc- 
cess. 

1  he  seal  ha\ing  been  harrassed  so  much  the  prospect 
was  slim  tor  the  next  season  ;  but  by  putting  men  on  the 
small  rocks  to  shoot  th(;m,  and  b\  great  diligence,  we  man- 
aged to  secure  about  a  thousand  skins  to  both  vessels,  which 
was  a  slim   season's  work. 

After  visiting  .St.  llelc;na  Ba\',  in  Cape  Colony,  we 
skirted  along  \.\\v.  coast  to  W'alwich  Ha\',  procured  a  bullock 
of  the  natives,  also  a  lew  ostrich  feathers  and  tMiipty  egg- 
shells, and  proceeded!  on  to  Tiger  Peninsula,  in  latitude  four- 
teen degrees  south,  but  fuuling  nothing  we  bore  away  for 
St.  Helena  in  January,  A.  1).  1.S36. 

We  arrived  then;  in  about  eight  da)'s  after  leaving  the 
coast,  where  I  found  William  Carroll,  Esq.,  American  consul, 
in  good  health  ;  and  after  jjrocuring  water  and  dsposing  of 
surplus  provisions,  took  our  departure  from  this  noted  island 
for  home  about  the  twenti(;th  of  January',  and  arrived  safely 
at  New  London  early  in   March. 

The; sealing  business  had  ceascul  to  \w.  remuncTative,  on 
account  of  a  decline    in  the   price;  of   furs,  so    Mr.  Lawrence 


The  Old  Sailor's  Story 


47 


loaded  the  brig  for  the  West  Indies  with  horned  cattle  on 
ileck,  and  I  sailed  in  her  for  Martinico  on  the  eighth  of 
April. 

We  sailed  with  the  wind  west-southwest,  but  it  hauled 
to  the  south  and  increased  to  a  gale  and  we  had  a  i)retty 
rough  time  for  live  stock.  They  kej^t  sprawling  and  falling, 
and  re([uired  constant  care  and  management. 

After  crossing  the  raging  gulf  we  had  a  moderate  pas- 
sage to  .St.  Pierre,  Martinico,  where  we  found  no  market  for 
our  cargo  and  were  advised  to  go  to  Gaudaloupe,  which  we 
accordingly  did. 

There  we  found  a  dull  market,  especially  for  cattle  ;  and 
as  several  vessels  were  waiting  to  procure  cargoes  of  mo- 
lasses, the  article  with  which  we  wished  to  load,  we  had 
wearisome  detention,  but  finallv  obtained  a  ladino-,  and  after 
a  (|uick  jjassage  of  eleven  days  arrived  at  New  London  on 
June  30th,  A.  I).  1S36. 

Not  wishing  to  go  sealing  again  immediately,  the  owner, 
with  my  consent  and  according  to  my  advice,  sent  the  vessel 
to  the  coast  of  Chili,  under  command  of  Captain  William 
Noyes. 

I  stopped  ashore  until  the  latter  part  of  August ;  then 
made  atrip  to  Norfolk  aft(,'r  a  cargo  of  corn,  and  in  October 
purchased  an  interest  in  the  schooner  Callao,  and  procured 
a  freight  in  Ntnv  York  for  Apalachicola,  where  I  arrived 
and  discharged  after  a  lengthy  |)assage. 

I  went  from  there  to  New  Orleans  in  ballast;  and  hnd- 
ing  freighting  gof)d,  formtil  a  line  of  packets,  with  two  other 
V(iss(;ls,  betvv(;en  that  port  and  ;\palachicola.      Aftctr  making 


4S 


The   (Vd  Sailor's  S/ory 


threi;  ooocl  trips,  which  took  me  until  Jamiar\-,  ,\.  1).  1S37, 
the  business  ht-camc  dull  ;  and  after  lyin.L;'  idle  and  heini; 
;uck  with  a  fexer  for  some  time,  1  hel[)ed  \\ri;ck  a  scIkx^kt 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Mississipjii,  then  procured  a  freight 
for  Aj)alachicola,  and  from  thence  proceeded  to  New  ^'f)rk 
and  thence  home. 

In  June  we  had  the  vessel  newly  coppered,  intendinij^  to 
have  i^one  to  the  Azores  for  a  carij^o  of  potatot^s  and  onions, 
but  failino  in  this,  laid  b)  until  October,  and  then  took  a 
freight  from  Hartford  to  .Savannah.  There  we;  loaded,  partly 
on  the  vessel's  account,  for  Mobile,  and  thence  we  proceeded 
to  New  Orleans,  whc:re  we  loaded  with  bale-rope  and  bag- 
ging for  Savannah,  arriving  at  the  latter  port  on  January  1st, 
A.  I).    1S38. 

Here  we  load(,'d  with  lumber  for  Ha\ana,  and  leaving 
Tybee  Februar)'  1st,  in  the  evening,  arri\ed  at  our  destina- 
tion bebruary  4th,  in  the  morning  ;  and  after  unloading  we 
took  a  cargo  of  coffee,  sugar  and  oranges  to  New  Orleans. 

Thence  we  went  to  Apalachicola  and  obtained  a  freight 
of  cotton  for  New  Orleans,  receiving  one  and  one-quarter 
and  one  and  one-eighth  cents  per  pound  freight  foi  under- 
deck  and  deck-load  respectively. 

Hack  to  Apalachicola  with  a  load  of  sugar  and  again  to 
New  Orleans  in  ballast  ;  and  from  thence  a  fr(Mght  for  15os- 
ton,  leaving  the;  Hali/e  about  the  first  of  Jul)'  and  arriving  in 
Boston  the  12th.  Then  we  went  home  and  laid  by  until 
Octoljer. 

My  next  move  was  to  Hrth,  Me.,  for  a  cargo  of  jiota- 
toes,  which,  owing  to  a  drouth,  were  scarce.     After  scouring 


The   Ol(i  Sailoi-'s  Slory, 


49 


about  that  section  for  two  or  thr('(:  wciiks,  I  procured  part  of 
a  cargo  and  started  for  New  London  for  orders.  After  pass- 
ing through  the  Vineyard  Sound  I  i)ut  into  Newport  on  ac- 
count of  a  southeast  gale  and  storm  ;  and  as  the  wind  shifted 
suddenly  to  the  westward  and  blew  hard  I  was  detained 
there  several  dajs. 

I  arrived  at  New  London  November  ist  ;  sailed  the 
second  for  Charleston,  wh(;re  I  found  no  market.  Thence  I 
had  a  rough  passage  to  Key  West  where  the  market  was 
equally  dull. 

I  stopped  at  Tampa  luiy  and  at  Apalachicola,  and  at 
both  places  found  no  sak;  ;  and  after  taking  them  to  New 
Orleans  1  was  obliged  to  peddle  them  out  in  small  ([uan- 
tities. 

After  getting  through  with  the  potatoes  I  went  to  the 
Atchafalaya  River,  and  with  much  exertion  obtained  a  cargo 
of  sugar  from  different  plantations  for  New  Orleans. 

The  navigation  of  this  part  of  the  country  is  intricate 
and  difficult,  the  land  being  ver)-  low  and  marshy;  the  shoals 
or  oyster  banks  extend  off  shore,  out  of  sight  of  land,  and 
the  river  is  very  narrow  and  crooked. 

Arriving  at  Franklin,  La.,  I  took  horse  and  rode  to  dif- 
ferent plantations,  being  well  received  and  hospitabl)  enter- 
tained by  the  gentlemanly  planters,  many  of  whom,  with 
their  slaves,  had  emigrated  from  Virginia  and  Kentucky, 
l^referring  to  raise  sugar-cane  in  this  fertile  region  to  the 
cultivation  of  corn  on  their  soil-impoverished  homesteads. 

Late  one  stormy  day  in  January  I  called  at  the  sugar 
plantation   of  a  Mr.  Wilkes,  an   old   Virginia  planter,  who 


■* 


50 


The   O/,/  Sailors  S/orv. 


Li;av(;  me  an  t-pitoiiic  ot  his  Iiistnry  ;  and  as  he  was  a  xcry  '\u- 
telli^tMit  man  bis  conxiirsalioii  was  hii^iily  riitcrtaininj;.  \\v. 
preclict(;(l,  at  that  t;arly  tlax,  that  the  hiri^est  cit)-  in  the  workl 
would  tnentually  sprinn'  up  on  the  Pacitic  sid*,-  ot  tliis  c(jnti- 
nent  ;  that  there  would  he  a  ship.canal  across  the  Isthmus; 
and  that  this  future  cit\  woul^^e  a  <;reat  commercial  emjjo- 
rium,  a  sort  ot  central  depot  for  the  world. 

Since  tlie  dfivelopment  of  th(;  resources  of  Calilbrnia 
and  the  rapitl  rise  and  growth  of  San  brancisco.  I  luu'e-  often 
thought  of  the  old  i4entl(jman's  proph(,'cy  on  tha  ormy 
Januar\'  evening. 

riie  next  morning-,  alter  a  sumptuous  breakfast,  my 
new-touml  friend  accompanied  me  on  horseback  to  several 
plantations  ;  and  nexer  in  my  life  did  1  ha\e  more  disinter- 
ested kindness  shown  me  1)\"  a  stranger.  My  recollections 
of  him  are  a  l)right  spot   in  my  memory. 

I  also  made  the  act[uaintanc(^  of  a  1  )r.  I'iekl,  in  Prank- 
lin,  who,  with  his  wife,  an  accomplished  New  \'ork  lady,  very 
hospitably  entertained  m\-  wife,  who  accompanied  me  this 
winter,  and  rendered  me  kindly  assistance  in  procuring  cargo. 

After  taking  in  dilferent  lots  of  sugar,  we  dropped  down 
the  river,  near  the  mouth  of  which  1  purchased  some  corn 
from  the  slaves  of  two  tlifferent  plantations,  (with  their  own- 
er's consent,  otherwise  I  should  have  lj(;en  subject  to  im[)ris- 
onment),  and  we  made  our  \\a\'  to  X(,'W  ( )rl(tans,  wher(;  we 
arriv('d  about  tlie  twentieth  of  January. 

1  found  frciglUs  \(M-)-  dull  ;  but  after  getting  what  I 
could  and  purchasing  considerable  on  the  \(;ss(d's  account, 
1  tlropped    down    the   ri\er  on    March  ist,  and  was  v<.'r)'  un- 


-^ 


^r 


The  0/c/  Sai/ors  S/ory, 


51 


fortuna 


t.-,  f 


or  oil  tilt'  <'\(Miin''"  o 


r  th; 


II  (la\'  our  vessel  was  run 


down   and    sunk   1)\-  a  towd)oal  with  a  h(;a\\'  V  \\\  called   the 


ui 


^^cttiuL;'  h(.'r  near  llu:  shon,-,  \vher(i  he  left  her  lyin^"  o 


n  one 


skh; 


1  took  passatj^e  with  him  to  New  ()rleans,  where  I  pro- 
cured the  assistance  of  the  schooner  Roh  Ro\'.  Captain  lohn 
W  .  Miner,  ot  New  Lomlon,  with  whom  I  proceeded  to  the 
wreck  ;  and  with  his  and  other  assistance  we  hauled  out  the 
car L(o,  much  of  which  was  badly  damas^^ed. 

'1  he  schooner  was  then  floated,  and  both  she  and  the 
carij^o  were  sold  at  auction  in  New  Orleans,  the  former  to 
liaile)'  «S:  Marcy,  shipwrights,  who  afterwards  repaired  and 
usetl  h(.'r  to  i^ood  ad\anta_oe. 

Beins^"  now,  as  Jack  says,  adrift,  1)1;*  iiaviuLj  some  funds, 
I  maile  an  aij^reement  with  Ca[)tain  Miner  for  a  passage 
north  ;  and  a  part  freight  offering'  tor  Savannah  I  made  him 
out  the  balance,  and  after  discharL^in^^  and  loading  at  that 
i)ort  we  took  a  load  of  \-ellow  pine  to  X(;w  London,  where 
we  arri\ed  i^i    |une.  A.   1).    1  S  :;g. 

llaxing  been  unlortunate  1  concluded  to  try  my  fortune 
on    the    l;uul,  so  I    purchasetl    a  farm    of  si.\t\-  acres,   with  a 


52 


Thi-   iVd  Sailor s  Story. 


saw  and  s^rist-niill  thereon,  in  tlic  town  of  Salem,  Ct.,  and 
mf)\ecl  there  from  dales  !•  err\'  in  ( )ctc)ber. 

I  put  the  mills  in  rei)air  and  ground  and  sawed,  workino; 
niirhts  some  of  the  time  as  well  as  1)\'  da\'  ;  hut  farmint*;  and 
millinu-  interfered  with  each  other,  and  the  repairs  on  the 
mills  were  as  destructive  to  the  profits  as  IMiaraoh's  lean 
kine  were  to  the  well-fa\ored  ones,  and  it  was  a  hard  matter 
at  the  end  of  a  )(;ar  to  makc>  both  ends  meet,  which  was 
quite  discouraging". 

Another  drawback  to  mj-  success  was  a  depr(>ciation  in 
the  prict;  of  stock  and  produce.  W  hen  1  jjurchased  my  farm 
orain  was  worth  seven  shillinos  per  bushel,  anil  in  one  gear's 
time  it  could  be  bouL;ht  for  four  shillings,  and  other  pro- 
ducts fell  oft  in  value  in  [proportion.  This  was  another  "  up 
and  down  "  in  ni)-  experience,  l)y  no  means  profitable  to  me. 

After  nearl)-  three  \'ears'  hard  toilin*;,  with  aforemen- 
tioned results,  I  was  cfferc^d  a  cliance  to  l;()  to  sea  on  a 
whalinu^  and  sea-elejohantin^;  voja^i;  to  the  Crozette  islands, 
Indian  Ocean  ;  and  accepting;  the  offer  I  sailet!  for  the  firm 
of  Perkins  &  Smith,  in  the  schooner  I'ranklin.  on  Au£(ust 
1 2th,  A.  U.  1S42. 

We  had  a  lengthy  passage  to  the  Cape  I)e  Verde's, 
where  we  stopped  for  salt  ;  then  made  our  way  to  the  Tris- 
tine  Islands,  and  stocnl  in  under  Ni^htinj^ak"  Island  October 
26th,  and  tj^ivinL^  the  mate  orders  to  keep  as  near  shore  as 
v.as  prudent,  1  took  thi'  second  mate  and  boat's  crew  and 
went  i«;-shore  to  prospect. 

i  )iscoverini4  sc  me  fur  s(  al  in  a  caw  at  tb.e  north  end  of 
tile  island,  I    nuule   j)it  paiations  to  land,  but   Itjokin*;  to  the 


The   Old  Sailor  s   Story 


53 


westward    I  saw  a  trcmrncloiis  s(|iial]   comin<r   up  from  that 
(juartcr  and  we  hast(Mie(l  for  the.  schoorvr. 

riie  s(|uall  struck  \\vx  with  L^reat  ff)rce,  layint;  her  near- 
!)•  on  \\vx  hcain-cnds  hofort-  the  sails  could  he  tak<'n  in  ;  hut 
fortunatt'l)'  for  us  tlic  shiftini^^  of  thf  wind  i)rouLiht  h(;r  di- 
rect!)' to  the  leftward  of    us.  oth(*rwise  \\v.  could  not  possibl)' 


a\'e  boarc 


led  h 


er. 


With  much  difficult)'  we  i^ot  alonj^side  and  hoisted  in 
our  boat,  and  putting  the  vessel  under  vc-r)'  short  sail  we  laid 
to  till  ni<'ht,  headini''  to  the  southwest. 


The;  weath(;r   moderatinij^   and    c! 


earini 


f  a   little    I    con- 


cluded to  abandon  this  land  ;  aiid-  we  bore  away  with  a  stiff, 


f; 


lir   eale   and  a  Ijoisterous  sea    for    th( 


I" 


mice 


Ed 


ware 


1    Is- 


land 


s,  a  distance   of  near 


rl)   tl 


irce 


tho 


usan( 


1  mil 


es,  where  we 


arrived  Nov(-mber  iSth. 


A  brief  description  of  tins  far  off  ocean  land  ma)'  iiot  be 


.UllISS. 


The    south  of  Marion's    Island   lies   in  latitude  fort)'-si\ 


de<,>T(;es    fi 


ftv 


minutes    s(>ulh   and  Innijilude  thirtv-se\'en    de- 


L^rees  fort , -six  iuinutes  east. 


It  is  of  a  triangular  sluipe  aiid  has  a  coast  line  of  about 
fifl)'  nviles.  Running;  throuj^h  the  centre,  iti  a  southeasterly 
ilirection  fron>  the  north  part,  is  a  ridjM'  of  hi^h  mountains 
whose    peaks    .re   thousands  of    feet  in    heij^ht,  coNcred  with 


per 


pet 


ual  snow. 


The  marL;ins  and  sides  of  tiu-se  mountains  are?  com- 
posed of  volcanic  cinders  called  clan\pers,  the  walking  upon 
which  will  thoroui»hl)'  demorali/.*'  a  new  pair  of  boots  in  one 
ila)'s  time.      In  some  places  thiis   islaml  can  be  approached 


54 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Story 


within  a  short   distance,  in  other  places  damgerous  reefs  ex- 
tend off  shore. 

In  several  places  are  strips  of  beaches  which  are  more 
or  less  Irecjuented  by  sea-elephant  ;  in  other  places  large 
masses  of  irregular  shaped  rocks  renders  walking  along  the 
shore  impossible.  There  is  one  poor  harbor,  calletl  Uxor, 
on  account  of  a  vessel  b)-  that  name  having  been  wrecked 
there  by  dragging  ashore. 

The  North  Island  is  considerably  smaller,  and  the  best 
anchorage  'w,  in  a  small  bay  or  roadstead  at  the  extreme 
southeast  point.  Here  we  found  the  holding  ground  good 
and  rode  out  several  severe  gales  in  safety.  Tlie  land  of 
Loth  islands  is  similar.  Piobablv  both  are  of  volcanic  ori- 
gin,  and  they  are  a  sterile,  desolate  region,  unfitted  for  the 
abode  of  humanity,  llore  we  found  the  schooner  Emme- 
line,  of  Mystic,  on  the  same  errand  as  ourselves,  and  we 
anchored  near  her. 

It  being  late  in  the  se'ason  the  elejjhants  were  poor,  yield- 
ing only  a  few  gallons  apiece. 

We  consorted  with  the  luiimeline  and  worked  the 
beaches  together.  We  also  f(nmd  a  gang  of  men  here  from 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  taking  oil  for  a  schooner  which  the_, 
expectetl  at  a  stated  time.  We  worked  the  beaches  of  botli 
islands  and  obtained  about  oni-  hundred  antl  s(:rent)-live 
barrels  of  oil,  and  left  on  the  seventh  of  January,  A.  I). 
1843,  for  the  Cro/.ette  Islands. 

This  group  is  about  lixe  lumdrei.1  milc:s  further  east,  and 
it  took  us  about  a  week  to  get  there,  linil  an  anchorage  and 
g(;t  to  work     both  ncsscIs  still  in  compan). 


TJic  Old  Sailor  s  Storx 


53 


We  anchored  in  American  I^ay,  Possession  Island,  and 
found  tke  elephant  plenty. 

The  men  worked  aioni,^  the  heach(;s  killiiiL;'  and  skin- 
niiv'  ihe  animals  ;  ami  we  hoateil  off   the  blubber  as  circum- 


stanc(;s  permitted  ;  mu 


ch    of  the  time  beinsjf  so  storiMV  as  to 


l)revent  communication  betwc^en  the;  vessel  and  tlie  shore. 

On  heavinj^  up  our  anchor  on  the  third  of  l^'ebruary, 
the  chain  choked  in  the  hawse-pipe  ;  and  o\\  ascertaining;  the 
cause  found  th(^  key  to  th(^  shackle-pin  had  worked  out  and 
the  pin  had  partly  worked  out  of  thelink.  In  this  condition 
we  had  been  ridinj;,  with  a  heavy  sea  rolliuL;  in  antl  heavy 
breakers  but  a  few  fathoms  astern. 

'i  he    l"2mmeline's  cliain  was  in  a  similar  condition  ;  the 


shackle  came  around   liie  w  ullass  ami    the  pm  dropped  out 


lU 


th( 


on  c 


leek. 


H; 


id  our  ciiams   completely  unshickled  we  shouUI  have 


lost  not  (jnl)'  our  x'esst-ls  but  our  lives.  1  would  <  lution  all 
wiio  use  chain  c.ibles  in  dangerous  places  never  to  trust  to 
ir>)ii  keys  for  shackle-pins.  1  Iow(;ver  rusty  and  hard  to  st.irt, 
the)'   arc;    liable   to  work    loose  ;   while    white     \V    k 


e\s   wi 


11 


sw(jll  and  grow  tiL,dUer  instead  of  looser,  and  they  are  easily 
boretl  out  when  it  is  nec;essary  to  unshackle  tlu-  ch.iin. 

In  the  following  year  I  km^w  of  si.xty  vi.'ssik  which  ww- 
shackleil  their  chains  by  trustinj;  to  iron  k(,'ys  while  ridiiii^at 
the  i+sl;uul  of  Ichabo,  olf  the  southwest  coast  of    Africa. 

The  sea-elephant,  like  the  seal,  come  on  shore  for  brcied- 
inj4,  and  when  the)-  lirst  land  ihcir  bhThber  or  iat,  which  lies 
ue.xl  to  till-  skin,  is  thick  ami  oil) ,  but  the)  ^row  poorer  rap- 


'y 


\\\ 


w  leinah's  sla)'  on  shorr  with   llnir  )()unL;  until  llu: 


56 


Tlic  ^Vc/  Sailor  s  Story. 


latter  are  able  to  take  to  tlu*  water.  The)-  then  tj^o  off  shore 
and  feed  until  sheddinjj^  time,  or  brown  cow  season,  when 
they  are  fat  a^ain. 

Some  of  the  males  when  thi^y  first  land  will  N'ield  from 
three  to  five  barrels  of  oil.  On  th(;  seventeenth  of  I'^ebruar)' 
we  went  over  to  Hast  Island,  and  in  one  day  s^ot  off  blubb(^r 
enouoh  for  fifty  barrels  of  oil,  althoiij^h  the  vv(\ath(,'r  was 
very  blowy. 

Leaving;  men  on  shore  at  different  placets  to  work  the 
beaches,  we  laid  off  and  on  or  anchored  at  timers,  as  circum- 
stances permitted,  improvins^;  the  time;  to  such  advantaij^e  as 
wind  and  weathiM'  permitted. 

One  niijht  my  mate  and  I  had  a  similar  dream.  We 
drc^amed  of  seeing'  a  span  of  black  horses  reariuL]^  furiously 
and  standino-  on  their  hind  feet.  This  was  an  e\  il  omen,  for 
the  next  day  the  second  mate's  boat,  in  attempting-  to  com- 
municate with  the  shore,  was  stoven  by  the  com!)ers  and 
three  of  my  best  men,  vi/.:  Joseph  Durfey,  Richard  Cad- 
well  and  l^>nest  I  Ian/.,  found  a  watery  i^rave. 

We  had  a  continual  succession  of  scpialls  and  j^ales 
from  this  time  until  the  twenty-first  of  March,  when,  having;" 
taken  our  men  on  board,  ami  haxin;^  also  procnrctl  a  supi>ly 
of  fresh  water,  we  took  our  dcrjjarturt:  for  souk?  inhabital)l(.' 
land. 

I  will  n^latehere  one  circumstance,  to  l^mvc  an  idea  of 
th(;  pleasures  of  sea-elephai-.tini;  at  tlu;  Prince  lulward 
Islands. 

Haviuj^'  been  informed  that  there  were  se4iie  fur  seal  on 
a  certain   beach   on  the  .'^ide  ol   the  isUuid  cj-i-esite  to  where 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Slovy 


,■)/ 


we  were  ;  and  as  there  was  no  anchorage  there  for  our  ves- 
sels, and  as  goinjr  around  and  landing  in  boats  was  both  dif- 
ficult and  dangerous  ;  the  captain  and  mate  of  the  Emme- 
line,  together  with  mj'  mate,  six  men  and  myself,  formed  a 
party  to  go  across  lots,  which  proved  no  easy  task.  We  pro- 
vided ourselves  with  penguin-skin  moccasins,  as  boots  were 
too  cumbersome  and  would  soon  cut  through,  and  started 
early  one  morning. 

First,  we  waded  through  the  fussock-bogs,  then  clam- 
bered up  the  sides  of  the  motmtain,  ov(;r  the  loose,  rough 
clampers,  to  an  altitude  of  three  or  four  thousand  feet,  where 
the  snow  capped  the  summit,  and  down  the  other  side, 
which  was  much  steeper  and  equally  jagged  and  uneven. 

The  man  who  acted  as  guide  made  a  mistake  in  his 
reckoning,  and  no  wonder,  for  it  snowed  and  blowed  like 
fur)'  let  loose  ;  and  behold,  when  we  descended  we  were 
about  one-half  of  a  mile  from  our  beach,  and  no  way  had  we 
of  getting  to  it  but  by  ascending  and  descending  in  another 
gulch,  for  the  mountain-wall  between  us  and  our  intended 
landing  place  was  perpendicular  and  impassable.  Up  we 
clambered  to  the  very  top,  where  the  wind  blew  a  tornado, 
and  down  we  scrambled  nearly  half  way  when  the  guide  dis- 
covt;red  he  was  again  on  the  wrong  track.  Up  we  went 
again,  and  being  fatigued  1  asked  the  guid(;  if  bethought  he 
could  fmd  this  spot  again  when  he  returned.  He  replied  in 
the  affirmative,  so  1  stuck  the  breech  of  mj-  trusty  fowling- 
piece  in  the  snow  crust,  ai'id  for  aught  I  know  it  r(  mains 
there  till   this   da)',  for  when  we  did  return  we  encountered 


58 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Storv 


another  tornado   and    were  glad  to  get    hack    in  any    way 
we  could. 

The  third  time  we  reached  the  desired  beach,  where  we 
camped  for  the  night  in  a  dismal  den  or  cave,  through  the 
fissures  of  which  water  was  constantly  dripping.  Three  of 
our  men,  disgusted  with  the  guide,  were  separated  from  our 
company  and  camped  all  night  in  the  open  air,  and  these 
men  had  the  bread  which  we  needed  for  provision. 

But  although  we  \vere  tired  and  foot-sore  we  secured  a 
r>ea-elephant;  and  making  a  fire  of  his  blubber  and  some 
sticks  which  we  carried  for  stafts,  we  fried  his  liver  in  an  old 
broken  camp-kettle  which  we  found  in  the  cave;  and  after 
boiling  some  sea-water  for  salt  with  which  to  season  it,  we 
ate  it  with  better  relish  than  man}'  have  for  bettiT  viands. 
In  two  days'  time  we  obtained  sixteen  seal-skins,  and  made 
our  way  back  to  our  vessels,  which  we  were  vci)'  glad  to 
reach. 

Another  incident  on  this  vo)  ige  was  our  dragging  off 
soundings  in  a  heavy  gale  with  a  long  scope  of  chain  out. 
With  our  ordinary  windlass  it  was  impossible  to  heave  in  a 
single  link  ;  and  thus  we  drifted  aiul  pitched  th(i  whole  night, 
the  chain  surging  heavily  in  the  hawse-pipe  and  jarring 
everything  from  truck  to  keelson.  It  took  us  tlu;  whole  of 
the  next  day,  with  falls  and  tackles,  to  h(,'ave  u[)  the;  anchor, 
it  being  a  very  fatiguing  and  laborious  job,  especially  in  a 
gale  of  wind  with  a  heavy  sea. 

On  March  21st,  A.  I).  1S43,  we  left  the  Crozettes;  on 
April    13th   we   doubUnl   the  Cape  of  ("lootl    llo[je;  on   the 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Story. 


59 


15th  we  anchored  in  Saldana  Bay  to  obtain  water,  and  here 
three  of  our  crew  deserted. 

Having  obtained  water,  wood,  fresh  meat  and  vei^eta- 
bles,  we  left  the  African  coast  and  crossing  the  South  At- 
lantic arrived  in  the  safe  and  commodious  harbor  of  Rio 
Janerio  on  May  26th.  HcTe  I  disposed  of  our  four  hundred 
and  fifty  barrels  of  oil  at  twent\-nine  cents  per  gallon,  and 
invested  the  funds  in  three  hundred  and  hft)  bags  of  excel- 
lent coffee,  which  I  shipped  home,  where  it  found  a  good 
market  and  brought  the  oil  up  to  fifty  cents  a  gallon. 

Having  refitted  with  second-hand  casks  and  stores  for 
another  season's  cruise,  we  left  port  on  the  nintli  of  June  ; 
and  after  wooding  and  watering  at  Isle  L(^  (irandc,  we  left 
the  S(^uth  American  coast  on  June   i6tb.,  .\.  1).   1S43. 

['Or  a  description  of  Brazil,  its  vast  resources  and  VcUua- 
ble  productions,  animal,  vegetable  and  mineral,  I  would  re- 
fer the  reader  to  more  able  writers,  and  will  only  speak  of 
the  poor  slaves,  who  toiled  early  and  late,  as  being  poorly 
fed,  hard-worked  and  scantily  clad. 

We  made  the  land  on  the  southwest  coast  of  Africa,  in 
the  vfcinity  of  Whale's  Bay,  on  the  twenty-third  of  July, 
having  seen  three  sperm  whaU;s  on  the  passage  which  we 
were  unable  to  procure. 

From  this  time  until  August  4th  we  cruised  along  the 
coast  searching  for  whales  and  seals  ;  finding  none  of  the 
former  and  but  few  of  the  latter. 

On  landing  at  the  latter  date  on  Ichabo  or  Round 
Island,    1    was    surprisetl    at  finding    planks,  wheel-barrows, 


6o 


'J he  Olel  Sailors  Story 


pick-axes  and  baj^s  of  miano,  apparently  left   without  cer- 
emony. 

I  afterwards  learned  that  the  brig  Ann,  of  iJristol,  had 
been  here  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  this  fertilizer.  She 
had  been  sent  here  by  a  merchant  of  Bristol  ;  but  being 
unacquainted  with  this  part  of  the  coast,  and  poorly  provided 
with  ground  tackle,  the  captain,  having  parted  his  chains, 
was  obliged  to  put  to  sea,  leaving  his  implements  in  the 
manner  in  which  I  found  them.  He  went  to  St.  Helena  for 
the  purpose  of  obtaining  anchors,  thinking  he  would  return 
and  finish  loading  ;  but  changing  his  mind  he  proceeded  to 
England  with  part  of  a  cargo,  and  there  gave  information 
respecting  the  great  amount  of  this  valuable  commodit)'. 

When  I  touched  here  on  my  way  homt;  from  the  Cro- 
zettes,  in  the  February  following,  I  found  eighty  ships  and 
brigs  loading  at  this  island  for  the  I'^nglish  market. 

We  proceeded  to  the  Crozettes;  had  much  scpially  and 
blowy  weather  ;  but  we  found  the  elephant  plent)-  and  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  a  full  cargo  of  oil,  filling  up  every  cask  ; 
and  after  touching  at  Cape  Colon)*  for  supplies,  1  proceeded 
down  the  coast,  where  I  found  the  guano  fleet  bt'fore  men- 
tioned, from  which  I  obtained  information  in  relation  to  the 
value  of  the  article  and  mtMitally  resolved  to  make  a  voyage 
here  after  having  finished  the  one  in  which  I  was  engaged. 

i^eaving  Africa  I  proceeded  to  St.  Helena,  where  I 
found  the  ship  Columbia,  Captain  James  .Smith,  and  his 
tender  the  sloop  .Shaw  Perkins,  Captain  Stroud,  both  ves- 
sels loaded  with  sea-elephant  oil  fr(  m  Desolation  Island. 

On  the  following  day  a  pary  of  us  took  horse  and  went 


The   Old  Sui/or's  Story, 


6i 


up  thi;  mountain  to  Lon^wood,  and  xisitc-d  the  last  carthl)" 
dwelling;"  place  of  the  L^rcat  Na])ol(M)n.  lien'  he  was  incar- 
cerated  as  a   prisoner   of    war  ;  hen;   he  li\ed  for  nearly  six 


\cars,  and  ht^re  he  tliec 


1  and 


was  huned 


or  nineteen  y(;ars 


his  r(Miiains  wen;  entombed  on  this  lonel)-  island  ;  and  on 
this  account  St.  Helena  will  occup)-  a  prominent  mention  in 
tlu;  world's  history  until  the  entl  of  tim(;. 

\\'(;   sailed    for   home  in  compan)'  with    th(;  vessels  last 
mentioned,  and   kept   together  for  a  o^r(;at  part  of   the   pas- 


saii'e 


We  arriveil  in  New  London  early  in  April,  A.  1).  1844, 
after  a  cruise  of  some  cwentx'  months,  makint^  a  voyaj^e 
which  was  profitahU;  to  the  owners,  payint;  the  best  per- 
centa_L(e  on  her  outfit  of  anj-  \-o)ame  she  had  e\-er  made. 

Ha\ini'  a  mind  to  make  a  i^uano  \'o\;me,  Mr.  I'^lias  Per- 
kins,  head  of  the  firm,  too-ethei  with  Ca[)tains  James  and 
I).  1*".  Smith,  went  with  me  to  Boston,  where;  we  bought  a 
burthensome  ship  called  the;  P)rook!ine. 

After  some  tlelay,  I  sailed  from  N(;w  London  June  20th, 
A.  1).  1844,  bounil  to  the  island  of  Ichabo,  on  th(;  southwest 
coast  of  Africa.  My  wife  and  little  daughter,  five  years  of 
age,  accompanied  me  on  this  \-oyao('.  W"  had  a  ([uick  pas- 
sage of  twent\'  da\s  to  the  Cape  I  )e  "/erdes,  where  wc; 
touched  for  recruits  ;  then  a  continuation  of  head  winds  and 
calms  to  the  equator,  which  we  crossed  in  about  longitude 
twent)-five  degrees  west.  We  arrixcd  at  our  tlestination 
Sept(;n  ber  loth,  where,  to  my  great  surprise,  I  found  a  Heet 
of  three  hundreil  Lnglish  ships,  with  a  working  force  of  two 
thousand  men. 


62 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Storv 


The  masters  of  these  vessels  had  chosen  a  committee 
of  twelve  of  their  number  for  the  regulation  of  affairs  ;  and 
at  a  meeting  of  this  committee,  with  Sir  John  Marshall,  of 
Her  Britannic  Majesty's  navy,  as  chairman,  it  was  voted 
that,  as  the  island  was  occupied  by  British  subjects,  no  for- 
eign vessels  should  be  allowed  to  load  guano  until  all  of  the 
English  vessels  were  loaded. 

1  received  a  letter  and  a  copy  of  this  resolution  from 
the  committee,  and  immediately  wrote  to  the  American  con- 
sul at  Cape  Town,  informing  him  of  the  state  of  affairs,  and 
dispatched  the  same  by  a  brig  bound  there  for  supplies. 

The  brig  had  a  quick  passage,  and  Mr.  Chase,  the  con- 
sul, laid  the  matter  before  Lord  Percy,  high  admiral  on  that 
station,  who  sent  instructions  to  the  committee,  dispatching 
a  steamer  called  the  Thunderbolt  for  that  purpose,  to  let  all 
foreign  vessels  load  on  the  same  terms,  with  the  same  rights 
and  privileges  as  English  vessels.  Sir  John  Marshall  was 
also  recalled. 

This  action  was  not  only  beneficial  to  me  but  also  to 
the  ship  Shakespeare,  of  New  York,  and  two  French  ships 
which  the  committee  had  refused  to  allow  to  load  on  any 
terms. 

This  roadstead  was  completely  tilled  with  vessels,  vary- 
ing in  capacity  from  two  hundred  to  twelve  hundred  tons. 

When  the  heavy  rollers  came  in  the  situation  can  be 
more  easily  imagined  than  described;  bumping,  thumping, 
dragging,  pounding,  chafing  and  breaking  were  the  inevitable 
re:  idts. 

Fourteen  bowsprits  were  carried  away  at  one  time.   One 


TJic  Old  Snilors  Story, 


ship  w.is  totally  disniastctl  ami  oik.'  sunk.  1  assistt;tl  in  h^ad- 
in<^  one  shi[j  and  obtained  assistance  in  return.  I  succeeded 
in  jj[ettin_Lj  ni)-  carij^o  of  six  hundred  tons  and  started  for  Bos- 
ton in  December.  We  ran  down  the  c(Kist  some  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles  to  W'alwich  \Sa\\  where  w(;  stopped  to 
obtain  tVesh  beef;  and  aft(.'r  recruitin^i'  our  lariler  we  sailed 
from  this  place  on  m\'  forty-tilth  birthday,  December  23d, 
A.  1).  1S44. 

We  called  at  St.  1  li;l(.'na  for  water  and  vei^etables; 
crossed  the  e(|uator  in  the  loni'itude  of  thirt\-  iles/rees  west. 
[)assini^  near  St.  Paul's  rock;  aiul  after  the  usual  routine  o«f 
calms,  tr'ule-winds  and  variables,  toi^ether  with  s(|ualls,  in 
one  of  which  we  blew  awa\'  our  jib,  we  niade  the  hii^hlands 
of  Cape  Cod  on  Washinj^^ton's  birthday,  A.  D.  1S45;  and 
crowding  sail  we  were;  enai)leil  to  secure  a  Boston  pilot  as 
the  shades  of  evenin'''  settled  around  us,  and  we  anchored  olf 
Lon_i^  Wharf  at  midiiii^ht  after  an  eis^ht   months'  cruise. 

After  makino"  arranjj^ements  for  discharging:;'  the  cargo,  I 
pioceedetl,  with  m)'  family,  on  the  cars  homeward,  and  when 
we  passed  through  Worcester  on  March  4th,  the  Democrats 
were  firing  a  hundred  guns  in  honor  of  James  K.  Polk's  in- 
auguration. We  stopped  at  Greeneville  and  Gales  Fer- 
ry, visiting  relatives,  and  arrived  at  our  home  in  Salem 
on  March  12th. 

This  was  Wednesday,  ami  on  the  following  Monday  1 
rep.'iitcd  to  Boston  with  a  crew  to  bring  the  ship  around  to 
New  London,  which  we  accomplished  in  about  thirt)'  hours 
aft(;r  starting. 

About  the  middh;  of  Jul)  1  saiUni    for  Perkins  (S:  Smith 


64 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Slory. 


on  a  whaliii!^  \'())a^c,  in  the  ship  Charles  Henry,  boiinil  to 
the  North  Pacific  \  ia  the  IiKhan  ( )cean.  John  Kimhall, 
Charles  Smith,  and  All\  n  i  larris  wen;  \w\  first,  second  and 
tliird  mates.  My  wilt.'  and  daui^diter  accompanied  nie  on 
this  \oya_<^e  for  the  benefit  of  their  health,  to  which  the  own- 
ers made  no  objection. 

We  stopped  at  the  Azores,  where  we  obtained,  jjotatoes; 
touched  at  the  Cape  l)e  \'(^rdes,  where  W(;  procurcnl  a  lot  of 
pigs,  poultr)-  and  tropical  fruits.  It  was  customar)-  for 
whalers  to  stop  at  these  islands  to  obtain  the  articles  named. 
and  also  to  ship  younL;'  mcMi  on  a  lay  represented  by  a  frac- 
tion whose  denominator  was  much  larj^er  than  its  numt^rator. 

\\'(;  crossed  the  e(piator  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Brazilian 
coast;  crossed  the  South  Atlantic:  proceeded  to  Prince  lul- 
ward  Islands,  where  we  obtained  some  sea-elephant  oil. 

Here  we  had  the  luck  to  draj^^  off  th(;  bank  with  ninety 
fathoms  of  chain  out,  antl  ev(,'ry  time  the  ship  pitched  it 
seemed  almost  as  thouj^h  sht;  would  \)v  rent  in  twain  ;  but 
after  oreat  effort  we  succeeded  in  i^ettino-  the  anchor,  havinj;- 
broken  the  '"«awse-pipe  and  incurrc-d  other  damai^e  in  the  at- 
tempt. 

Think  of  a  ship  pitching  and  diving  in  a  heavy  sea,  with 
a  large  anchor  and  ninet)'  fathoms  of  heavy  chain  dangling 
from  her  bow.  Description  cannot  make  the  situation  intel- 
ligible to  a  landsman,  and  no  one  can  fully  ajjpreciate  it  who 
has  not  had  similar  expc-rience. 

We  captured  a  lone  whak?;  went  to  the  Crozettes,  whert; 
by  the  terms  of  insnranc(!  we  were  not  p(;rmitted  to  anchor  ; 
communicated  with  a  shore    ;'an»'  ;   obtained  ( sjos   and  fish. 


Tlic  Old  Sailor  s  Story. 


65 


and  bore  away  for  I  )esolation  Island  or  Kcrtrulen's  Land. 
We  arrived  off  the  north  end  some  time  in  January,  A.  I). 
1S46;  and  after  g(*ttini,r  moderate  weather  succeeded  in  get- 
ting two  whaU^s,  one  of  which  proved  a  dry  skin,  not  yield- 
ing much  oil. 

Having  tempestuous  weather  much  of  the  time  we  were 
unable  to  lower  our  boats  with  safety;  and  after  killing  two 
more  whales,  both  of  which  sunk,  we  proceeded,  with  con- 
stant gales  from  all  quarters,  to  Van  I3ieman's  Land  or  Tas- 
mania, and  we  arrived  at  Hobart  Town  early  in  March,  1846. 
There  we  disposed  of  what  oil  we  had  taken  at  about  thirty 
cents  per  gallon. 

As  this  place  had  been  an  English  penal  colon)'  for 
man)-  )ears, there  was  no  lack  of  dissolute  characters  of  both 
sexes;  but  English  law  is  rigid  and  offenders  are  oftcMi  se- 
verely punished,  especiall)'  old  offenders.  To  take  awa)'  a 
convict  was  a  heinous  offence,  punishable  with  fine,  impris- 
onment and  confiscation. 

This  land  produces  the  finest  grains,  fruits  and  vege- 
tables, the  people  are  friendl)-  and  hospitable,  and  there  is 
no  finer  country  in  the  world  for  the  abode  of  man.  Many 
who  were  sent  here  as  convicts  had  reformed,  and  by  indus- 
try had  succeeded  in  obtaining  good  homes  and  becoming 
more  or  less  wealthy. 

After  disposing  of  our  oil  and  recruiting  on  the  produc- 
tions of  this  land,  we  took  a  good  supply  of  potatoes;  and 
proceeding  to  New  Zealand,  about  a  thousand  miles  further, 
we  rounded  the  .South  Cape  and  had  the  whole  I*acific 
Ocean  before  us  in  which  to  cruis<?.     We  stopped  at  one  of 


66 


The  Ola  Sailor's  Story, 


the  Society  Islantls,  where  we  procured  oraiii^cjs,  hananas  and 
other  tr()])ical  fruits. 

Mere  we  learned  of  the  injustice  of  the  Frtnich.  who  had 
overawed  this  we'ai<  nation,  coiiipeHinL^  the  (|ueen  to  cede 
those  ishinds  to  I'rance;  an  injustice  which  should  ne\er 
have  l)een  perniittetl  1)\-  other  nations.  But  they  have  b'-en 
taught  humility  l)\-  the  h'ranco-Piiissian  war,  and  the  Empe- 
ror William  has   been  a  school-master  ':hat  France  will  lo 


nu 


remem 


ber. 


We  took  our  departure;  made  a  straight  line  for  the 
North  i'acific;  crossed  the  e(]uator.  and  proceeded  to  the 
forty-sixth  degree  of  north  latitude. 

It  was  now  the  latter  part  of  May,  and  we  wert^ongood 
whaling  ground. 

Spoke  ship  Chandler  Price,  Captain  Tease,  who  in- 
formal me  of  the  loss  of  the  ship  Columbia,  belonging  to 
our  fu-m,  on  one  of  the  King  Mill  group,  with  twenty-seven 
huntlred  barrels  of  oil. 

On  the  following  d;;y  took  a  large  whale  which  made 
over  two  hundred  barrels. 

While  cutting  in,  spoke  tiu'  Is.iac  I  licks.  Captain  Rice, 
who  ol)served  he  had  l)een  on  the  ground  man)-  daj^s  and 
had  obtained  K^ss  oil  than  our  whaU;  woui 


cl  make 


On 


e    evenm<>',    niter  six   o'clocl 


'.->' 


we 


fastened    to  three 


whales,  two  of  whicli  wt^  sa\ed  but  one 


sunk 


I 


wo  tla\s  a 


f- 


ter  w(,'  fastened  to  th.ree  more,  but.  the  iron  drawetl  out  fro 
on(;~-a  common  (jccurrence     tlu'  other  two  we  sc'cured. 


m 


Wh 


Jiles  beiiiL"    scarce   we  cruised   anc 


m 


:ule  the   land  of 


77/.    Old  Sailors  Slorv, 


67 


Kamtscbatka,  and  scciin-fl  a  wlialc  which  yiehled  om;  hun- 
drtxl  and  sixty  barrels. 

We  stcxxi  alon<.{  ro  the  latitude  of  lih\-foiir  decrees 
north,  where  we  found  sliijjs  l»i.ilin;j;  out.  and  thi-re  we  jj^ot 
another  lar^e  wiiale. 

On  the  seventei  !uh  of  August  we  securetl  one  more, 
anci  then  w*.;  cruised  up  and  (h)vii  t!"ie  coast  witliout  success. 

About  the  twentieth  of  Scptendier  we  put  into  St.  I'eter- 
Pauhiski  to  procure  wood,  w.it'-r  .tnd  ve^i^tables.  I  his  is  a 
Russi.m  outpost  for  thi-  coil-ctio'i  of  cduabU;  turs.  I  he 
(hstancc;  from  St.  i'eLersbur;.di  <»\(Tland.  at  that  time,  was 
a  \ear's  jcnn'm-x'  oi  s<Mne  si'A'mi  thous.md  n'iil-'s;  and  the  Rus- 
sian oH'icers  who  were  station.-i!  ii  re  were  reUeved  once  in 
live;  years,  others  takin^i  thiir  pkices  at  llie  expiration  ol  that 

time. 

I  found  here  two  American  rtvsidents,  who  had  taken  na- 
tive wives  and  reareil  iari;e  famihes.  One  of  them  named 
Tahnan  liad  come  to  Canton  with  a  Captain  Mather,  of 
Xew  Lon(h)n,  ihirin;^  the  war  of  \,  I).  iS)_\  and  takiui-- 
h'rench  U'ave  hail  conn  here  ii^  an  l^n^hsh  trader,  and  liav- 
in_L;'  K-arned  the:  native  ton,i(ue  he  was  uselul  as  an  inter- 
preter. 

Throui^^h  him  1  becam*- ae([uainted  with  the  Heutenant- 
L;()vernor,  who  \\\v(\  near,  a  \  cry  ;)lT.d)ie  j^cntleman.  wliose 
wifi;  was  a  fair  (ierman  lady.  \\'<'  were  invited  to  their 
residence  and  hospitabl\  ttr.ncd  ,ind  eiiteriaineil. 

The  peoplif  hep-  follow  lishin;.:,  in  sinnmer  ami  himtini;- 
in  wint(;r. 

'riiey  L)elon!.;  to  tlirCir-  ik  (  hiurei)  .md  ;n-<   vcr_\   /cjdous. 


6S 


'J hi    (Vd  S(r//('/''s  S/(>rv. 


Thev  tra\('l  in  winter  In'  means  of  dotj;  teams,  with  which 
the  Heutenant-^ox'ernor  intormt*!  me  he  was  ohliued  to  make 
lonj4"  jonrnej-s  on  L;o\c;rnment  biisinc'ss  connected  with  the 
fvir  trade.  I'he  doL;s  are  chained  u|j  in  summer  alonor  the 
sides  of  the  brooks  and  have  the  appearance  of  beino- scantily 
fed. 

We  procurcxl  wood  and  \eoetables  and  proceeded  south 
to  a  more  s^tMiial  chmate,  as  it  was  now  October  and  winter 
was  fast  ai:)proachino-.  We  continued  aloni;- across  the  equa- 
tor without  sei'iuLj  any  sperm  whales,  which  we  were  an.vious 
to  find.  We  finally  captured  three  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Navigator  Islands;  and  as  the  shi|)  was  somewhat  leak)-  I 
concluded  to  put  into  some  port  and  stop  the  leak. 

So  I  put  into  a  fine  laj^oon  with  a  heathenish  name, 
where  1  found  an  I'^nnlish  missionar}-  station,  under  the 
charo-e  of  a  Mr.  Murra)'.  Althou_L;h  missionar)'  work  is  b) 
many  lii^htl)'  spoken  of  a  striking  example  of  its  i^ood  was 
here  plainly  svv.n. 

When  the  missionaries  first  came  here  they  were  lantU'd 
under  the  protc;ction  of  an  l^nnlish  man-of-war.  The  natives 
were  of  the  wildest  and  most  saxajj^e  kind;  now  scores  and 
huntlreds  were  cn^aLicel  in  learning'  and  practicing'  the  gn-at 
truths  of  th(!  word  of  life. 

While  here  I  witnessed  the  dedication  of  a  new  house. 
'Vhv  fri(!nds  and  relatives  of  the  family  assembled,  and  after 
prayer  and  singing  a  feast  o(  good  things  followed. 

Their  method  ol  cooking  is  somewhat  peculiar.  The)' 
dig  a  hole  some  two  or  thre<'  feet  deep  in  the  ground,  into 
which  the)'  place  a  (ruantit)  o\    small  sized  stones.      Having 


The  Old  Sailor's  Slory 


69 


licatcd  these  stones  \'er)-  hot  h)'  l>uil(lino'  a  lire  on  them, 
the)'  wnqj  the  pii^s  or  iowls  which  they  wish  to  cook  in  a 
kind  ot  hirj^e  leaves  called  tarra-k^aves.  and  [jlace  them  on 
the  heated  stoiu^s.  Closing  the  mouth  of  the  excavation 
with  earth  to  retain  the  heat;  when  a  sutticitnU  time  has 
elapsed  th(;)'  prothice  the;  most  nicel\-  roasted  and  hneK'  Ha- 
xored  meat  which  1  ever  tasted.  The  lla\'or  is  owinL;^  part- 
ly to  the  stuffing-,  which  consists  laroi;!)'  of  bread-fruit  and 
cocoa-nut  milk. 

We  were  kindly  treated,  and  havini;"  obtain(.'d  footl,  fuel 
and  wat(;r,  we  proceedetl  to  the  hriendly  Isles,  so  named  b)' 
Captain  Cot)k,  on  our  way  to  which  we  obtained  a  forty  bar- 
rel sperm-whale.  We  went  into  an  excellent  harbor  called 
\  a\()U,  where  In'  careenin*^  the  ship  we  succeeded  in  stop- 
|)inL;'  the  U;ak. 

1  iere  w<"  also  lountl  a  missionary  station  in  a  \er)'  flour- 
ishing condition,  and  an  abundance  of  pit^s,  poultr)'  yams 
and  sweet  potatoes,  of  which  we  obtained  a  j^ood  supply. 

The  missionaries,  Messrs.  Turner  and  WCst,  inxited  us 
to  their  houses  and  treated  us  veiy  hospitabl)'  ;ind  kindly. 

1  Iere  was  a  church  capable  of  h(/ldin^  five  thousand  peo- 
ple, in  the  buildinj;  of  which  the  soimil  of  the  hammer  was 
not  hc;ard.  'I  lu;  root  was  thatched;  the  rafters  were  of  bam- 
boo; the  sides  and  iloorinj;'  were  curiousl)  constructed  mats; 
and  the  lashings  or  lastenini^s  were  maile  ol  j^rass.  K\'er\' 
particle  ol  the  wood-work  was  concealed  b\'  braided  or 
\\o\-en  work  ol  librous  material,  and  the  edilicc;  was  a 
monnnu  nt  ol  native  industr)  and  in^enuit)-. 

W  ('  were  here  at  the  time  of  the  annual  examination  of 


70 


TJic  Old  Sailor  s  Story. 


the  different  schools;  and  tlie  exercises,  which  were  of  no 
mean  order,  were  conductt^d  with  the  utmost  propriety  and 
decorum.  Some  hve  hundred  canoes,  capable  of  holding 
from  sevent)'  to  ei^ht)'  persons  a[)iece,  arrixed  while  we  were 
here;  in  fact  the  whole  population  seemed  ilesirous  to  wit- 
ness and  j>articij)ate  in  these  anniversar)-  exercises. 

The  native  kin<^'  or  L;c)\(;rnor  inxited  us  to  his  house; 
treated  us  to  water-melf)ns;  and  entertained  us  with  an  intel- 
liy,ent  east:  and  refnuMiu-nt  which  man)'  of  the  j)rominent 
men  of  the  Caucasian  race  would  do  well  to  imitate.  I  never 
had  a  more  pleasant  sta)'  at  an\"  i)ort.  The  climate  was 
"genial;  the  people  friendly;  the  fare  was  excellent;  ami  the 
welkin  rang  with  the  meloih-  of  spiritual  songs,  and  the 
sounds  of  |)raise  were  heard  in  (;\-ery  nook  ami  corner  of 
this  happN'  little  town. 

On  leaxing  this  jjiace  on  the  twenty-third  of  Hecember, 
A.  1).  1S46,  m_/  forty-seventh  birthda),  we  proceeded  to- 
wards Cape  I  lorn,  which  we  doubled  in  January,  taking  one 
whale  on  the  passage,  which  owing  to  boisterous  weather  we 
were  unable  to  finish  cutting  in,  and  lost  him  when  he  was 
only  pf'.rtiall\-  stripped  of  his  blubber. 

Being  short  of  wood  I  put  into  W'ood  harl>or  in  the 
night,  xv'liich  my  |)ri'\i()us  knowledge  of  this  part  of  the 
world  en;il)led  me  to  do;  and  next  morning  my  otiicers  were 
greati)'  surprised  at  tnuling  tlu;msel\es  in  a  good  harbor, 
completeh'  land-locked,  where  good  wood  and  water  were  t(> 
be  had  b\'  the  taking. 

This  p.irt  of  the  coast  should  be  better  understood  b)' 
those  who  double    the   cape,  as  it  .ibounds    in  excelleiu   har- 


The   0/(/  Sai/ors  S/ory. 


71 


liors,  \vh<!re   ships  in   stress  of  vvcatluM"   niisj^ht    hnw.  safe  re- 
treat  from    the   anL,n*\  eleinents.      I'roin   here  \\v. 
to  balkland  Islaiuls  tor  heef;  and  arri\ed  there  on 


)r(jcet;c 


led 
tlieir  Sat- 
unhiN"  and    our   Sunda\',  as  \\v.  had   i/ainetl   a  da\-   1)\'  o-oin^r 


aroiint 


1  th 


e  wor 


Id. 


And  so  we  knocked   about,  in  and  out,  oft  and 


on,  un 


til 


lun 


e  20th,  1.S47,  \vh('n,  ha\  iul;-  tilled  up,  vvc  started  tor  home. 
Hut  the  old  Charles  1  lenr)   ne\(.'r  reached  New  London. 

On  the    tenth  of  August,  alter   the  usual  ple-asures  anil 
\icissitudes  ot  a  Ioul;  ocean  passage,  we  si<4'hted  I.oul';  Islantl. 
rile  we'ather   hecauK.-    inoderate   and   to^s^ry,  aiid    ^uidetl   by 
soundings  we  proceeded  t(^  teel  our  way  aloni;  the  shore. 


Leavin!^^  the  ship  to  my  male,  witli  directu)ns  not  to  L,^et 
in  nearer  than  titt('en  fathoms,  I    lop])eil    down   "  all  a  stand 
in^-,"  ami  contrarx'  to   my  e\|)ectations   tell    soumlly   asleep. 
The  m;ite,  wishing"  to  be  extra  smart  and  being'  in  a  hurry  to 

If 


'ci    iiome,   clisrc'ari 


led 


m\'  orders,    and    siii)i)osini' 


iimse 


ast  .'Jontauk  undertook  to  haul  up  for  the  "  Race,"  and  the 
:)iis,'(pience  w.is   the    ship  was    cast  away  t)n  t!ie  south   sitle 


)f    1  .one  Island,  a  few   miles  to    th 


lremit\'. 


ft 


er  sailing  around  tlie  woi 


Id, 


e  west   ol    its  eastern  e.\- 


and  cruisiiiij-  amoiiL!  coral 


ret^fs  and    rock}'  islaiub 
ix-rils  ot    different   oc( 


s,  weatheriiiL;"  gales  and  surxixiiig  the 
ans,  lands  ami  cliuK's  ot  both,  hemis- 
pheres, having  obtained  a  full  ship,  and  almost  arrix'ed  at 
home,  to  be;  cast  awa\  in  moderate  weather  b)-  carelessness 
on  the  part  of  one  who  should  ha\'el)een  more  cautious  was, 
to  sa\'  the  least,  \cr\  annoying  to  my  leelings.  Ihit  the  ship 
w.is  insured  and  the  r,ar''()  was  sa\»'il;  ai;d  while  it  was  being 


72 


Till'   Old  Sailor s  Story 


discharjred  the  price  of  oil  adxanced  several  cents  on  a  gal- 
lon, so  the  owners  lost  nothing'  1)\'  the  transaction;  and  the 
voyage,  barrin^r  the  disgrace  of  losing"  the  old  box,  was  a  suc- 
cessful one. 

We  w-ere   cast   awa)'  in  front  ot    an  ancicmt    house;  and 


while   we   were    ^ettinj;" 


the 


oil   and    apjjurtenances   of    tlu 


wreck  on  shore  I  took  bojird  in  the  said  house,  the  landlad)- 
f  which    appeared  to  be  one  of   the  most  avarici 


ot 


ous  speci- 


mens of  feminine  hiunanity  which  I  have  v.wx  met.  Some 
of  the  beach-combers  had  buried  a  tierce  of  sperm  oil  in  the 
sand,  and  when  her  little  servint;  maid  informed  me  of  the 
fact  she  scolded  her  severel)'  and  threatened  her  with  se\  ere 
punishment  if  she  committed  a  like  offence. 

The  underwriters  hired  the  farmers  in  the  \  icinity  to 
transport  the  oil  and  effects  of  the  ship  across  the  beach, 
about  a  mile,  to  Xapeai;  ])a\-,  whence  it  was  con\eyed  in 
sloops  to  New  London. 

The  man  who  had  rented  ni)-  [)lace  had  died  during  m)' 
absence,  and  the  mills  wert:  somewhat  out  of  tune;  l)ut  I 
fixed  them  up  and,  putting'  them  in  charge  of  my  oldest 


1 
to 


son, 
started,  in  November  of  the  same  year,  on  a  ^iiano  \'0)iii;c 
coast  of  I^itagonia,  in  a  shij)  called  the  I'alladium. 


After  stoppinj^"  at  the  Klwyw  \)v  W.rdes,  I  tleviated  frc 


)m 


the  usual  course  anil  instead  ot  makino  a  southeast  track  to 
the  fifteenth  decree  of  \\(st  longitude,  1  set  all  sail  anil 
i.teered  south-southwest,  crossetl  the  ecjuator  near  .St.  Paul's 
rock,    and    b)-    this   means  1  ^hortcnied    m\     passage   several 


;ivs. 


1  arrived  on  the  ct)ast  oi  J'atagonia  in  Jaiuiar) ;  found  a 


The   Old  Sailor's  Slory. 


>iiano  island  near  W'atcliman's  Ca])c,  in  tlie  latitude  of  forty- 


•  lit  d 


cioht  decrees  soutli,  w  hcrf;  was  a  man  named  Henry  I  owell, 
ho  had    been  wrecked  on  this  coast  two    )ears  previous  to 


w 


this  time.      Being-  a  man  ot   enterprise  Ik;  had  taken   posses- 
sion   ol    the    island,  obtained  a  workiuij    force   from    Monte- 


\uleo.   and   was   enuaued    m   dii>vins' 


uid  curuip- 


th 


e    corn- 


Ill 


odity  for  the  loading  of  vesst;ls. 


\\\  making  arrangements  with  him  I  was  enabled  to  ob- 
tain a  cargo  of  excellent  quality.  It  had  to  be  dug,  si)read, 
dried,  bagged  and  boated  to  the  ship,  which  was  anchored 
at  souk;  distance  from  the  shore.  At  one  time  ni)'  ship  broke 
adrilt  in    a  heavy  gale  while  I  was   on   shore   at  work,    and 


w 


hen  it  blows  in  this  rc-t>ion  there  i; 


s  no  half-wa\'  wor 


kal 


)OUt 


it.  I  felt  no  little  ;'nxiety  for  her  safet)-,  but  in  course  of 
time  she  made  her  appearance;  ami  .ifter  more  or  less  mis- 
haps and  vicissitudes,  occasioned  by  the  severity  of  the  winds, 
etc.,  we  succeeded  in  getting  loaded,  and  leaving  in  March, 
arrived,  after  a  cjuick  passage  of  fort)-si.x  days,  in  New  Lon- 
don, on  or  about  the  tenth  of  May,  A.  1).  1848. 

The  owners,  finding  a  good  market  for  the  cargo,  wished 
me  to  make  another  \'oyage  to  the  same  place;  and  as  the 
inducements  were  tempting  I  consented  to  go,  and  sailed 
with  the  same  ship  and  nearlj-  the  same  crew  in  July,  A.  1). 


1 848. 


We   stopped   at  the   Cape  De  Verdes  for  recruits,  and 


1( 


eavmg   the   ship    m   charge  ol   iii)' 


m 


ate  I 


went  on  shore  to 


trad( 


Tl 


le   sea  was   Jieaxnu 


in  and  it  was  calm   under  the 


lea   of   the    island,      'llie  mate   I  ( ci  me    intoxicated,  and   in- 
stead of   keeping   far  enough   to  lia\e  a  w 01  king    brte/e,  he 


74 


The  Olii  Sailor  s  Storv. 


neglecteil  his  duty,  allowed  her  to  drift  into  the  calm  space 
under  the  high  land,  and  the  consequence  was  we  had  to  an- 
chor to  prevent  drifting  ashore,  and  had  ^a  full  weeks'  de- 
tention. 

After  leaving  these  islands  we  had  a  succession  of 
southerly  winds  and  a  lengthy  passage,  but  we  arrived  at 
our  destination  in  October;  and  being  well  provided  with 
chains,  anci^ors  and  boats,  I  succeeded  in  getting  loaded  on 
the  twentieth  of  December;  and  after  more  boisterous 
weather  than  was  comfortable  or  desirable,  we  made  the  Vir- 
ginia coast  in  Februarj',  and  after  several  more  days  of  disa- 
greeable wintry  weather  and  gales  of  wind,  we  arrived  in 
New  London  in  March,  A.  1).  1849,  after  an  eight  months' 
voyage. 

At  this  date  the  California  gold  fever  was  raging,  and 
the  Palladium  changed  owners  in  part  and  was  sent  to  San 
Francisco  in  charge  of  Captain  McLane.  who  took  his  family 
with  him  and  sought  his  fortune  in  that  El  Dorado;  but 
alas  !  for  his  human  hopes,  he  made  bad  investments  and 
had  reverses,  which  so  wrought  on  his  physical  organization 
that  he  soon  went  the  way  of  all  the  earth. 

I  purchased  his  interest  in  the  bark  Iris,  and  sailed  in  her 
on  a  guano  voyage  on  the  twelfth  of  November. 

I  found  the  st(jck  ;)retty  well  exhausted,  but  succeeded 
in  procuring  an  inferior  cargo  and  sailed  for  home  in  March, 
A.  D.   1850,  and  arrived  at  iiome  about  th(;  middle  of   May. 

'Ihis  cargo  meeting  with  ready  sak:  the  owners  wished 
me  to  try  another  voyage;,  and  I  again  sailetl  for  Patagonia 
on  Se'pt<Mnber  23d,  1850.      1  found  that  my  friend  Pow(>ll  hatl 


Till'  Old  Sailor  s  Stow. 


75 


chan^j^ecl  his  quarters  to  St-a  Fiear  Hay,  and  thither  I  re- 
paired, where  I  had  to  boat  in)-  cartjo  a  distance  of  four  miles. 

While  loadiuLj,  in  compan}-  with  other  vessels,  I  made  an 
.excursion,  in  a  schooner  l)elongin<;-  to  Mr.  Powell,  to  the 
I'^alkland  Islands  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  fresh  beef. 

At  this  time  two  larL(e  ships  laden  with  coal,  from  Penn- 
sN'lvania  bound  to  San  I'rancisco,  in  this  vicinity  took  fire 
by  the  combustion  of  the  coal,  causetl  by  the  violent  rolling 
\\\\(\  shaking  of  the  vessels,  and  one,  the  Nonantum,  was 
abantloned  and  ne\er  heard  from.  Tlu.'  other,  called  the 
W'aldram,  was  taken  into  Port  Stanley,  where,  after  being 
scuttled  to  extinguish  the  fire,  she  was  sold  on  the  imder- 
writers'  account  at  about  one-tenth  ol  her  original  value. 

We  got  about  fifteen  beeves,  which  we  carried  to  the 
coast,  which  was  a  cause  of  rejoicing  to  the  one  hundred  and 
hft)-  men  there  employed. 

After  completing  my  cargo  I  proceeded  homeward;  and 
after  an  ordinary  passage,  so  similar  to  others  that  I  pass  it 
over  without   note,  arrived   in    New  London   in  Ma)',  A.  D. 

Messrs.  Perkins  t^  Smith  wished  me  to  prosecute  a 
whaling  and  sealing  voxage  in  their  employment;  and  having 
no  suitable  vessel  they  contracted  for  the  building  of  a  clip- 
per bark  of  three  hundred  tons,  in  which  I  took  an  interest, 
and  she  was  christened  the  N.  S.  Pc;rkins,  in  honor  of  the 
l.it(^  I  )r.  PtM'kins,  of    New  London. 

I  sailed  in  her  .September  2},i\,  A.  1).  1S52,  with  a  com- 
]>li'm('nt  of  othcc;rs  and  a  crew  ol  twent\-one  men  and  boat- 
'afcrfM's,  lor  the    Indian  and    North    Pacitic  ( )ceans,  antl   m)' 


76 


'I he  (yd  Sa/7or's  S/(W 


m 


\\ 


ite  and    Mrs.  IMnkhaiii,  llic  wife  (il    nn-  mate,  l/ore  lis  com- 


pany. 

After  ijettini^  fairly  started  we  found  that  our  new  ves- 
sel was  a  \-er)  fast  sailer  ;  she  could  easily  heat  the  pilot- 
hoat  which  accompanied  us  out  to  Montauk.  .She  was  not 
only  \cry  fast  hut  also  the  wettest  craft  of  her  size  in  which 
I  ever  sailed;  hut  in  pleasant  weather  she  would  skim  alono 
like  a  hird. 


\\ 


e    made  a  (|uick   j)assaj;e  ot    twent\-one   class 


f   i^ 


to  tl 


le 


c 

cl( 


ape 


De  \ Cnles,  where  we    made  a  call  to  obtain   such  arti- 


th 


f. 


es  as  the,se  poor  islanilers  Jia\-e  to  dispose;  ot,  such  as  pii^s, 
oats   and    noultrw   which    the\-    willinul\-   barter   h^r   cheaij 


)th 


ciotnc's  ant 


1  lol 


)acco. 


On  \\\v.  eii4hte(;nth  of  October  we  bore  away  for  more 
distant  j)arts;  on  the  twenty-third  spoke  the  bark  Dolphin, 
from  New  \'ork  for  Australia,  with  mining  emii^rants;  on 
the  thirtieth  we  had  crossed  the  e(juator;  on  the  third  of  No- 
vember spoke  an  Hnglish  bark,  from  Liverpool  for  Calcutta; 
on  the  fifteenth  made  the  Tristine  Islands;  on  th(;  seven- 
teenth sent  the  l)oats  in  shore  and  caujj^ht  some  fish;  on  the 
eighteenth,  with  a  strong  breeze,  let  her  slide  for  the  Intlian 
Ocean. 

On  the  twenty-first  of  November  we  had  crossed  the 
meridian  of  (jreenwich;  on  the  third  of  December  made  the 
Prince  Edward  group,  where  we  tarried  some  da)s  and  suc- 
ceeded in  obtaining  a  small  (piantit)-  of  sea-elephant  oil.  Hut 
the  prospect  was  slim,  the  animals  were  scarce  and  poor,  ami 
we  bore  avay  for  (jther  grounds. 

On  Januar)-  icuh,  A.  D.   1S53,  we  sp(  ke  the  ship  Prince 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Story. 


n 


of  Wales,  from  Aherdet-n  for  Adelaide,  from  whom  I  ob- 
tained the  correct  loni^itiule,  my  chronometer  being  faulty, 
liaving  .st()i)i)ed  twice  in   windint^. 

On  the  eitjhteenth  we  made  tht;  extraordinary  run  of 
three  hundred  and  thirty-six  miles;  on  the  twentieth  \sv.  had 
thick  fog,  with  the  wind  northwest;  and  this  foggy  spell  con- 
tinued some  four  or  five  days,  and  as  we  were  in  the  vicinity 
of  New  Zealand,  our  situation  was  not  the  most  pleasant,  for 
our  precise  location  was  not  known,  and  we  had  a  calm,  foggy 
time,  with  :i  heav)-  swell,  which  is  much  worse  than  a  gale  of 
wind  in  clear  weather  and  plenty  of  sea-room. 

On  the  twenty-seventh  we  crossed  the  opposite  me- 
ridian of  Greenwich;  on  the  twent)-(Mghth  rais'-d  sperm- 
whale  and  lowered  for  them,  but  the)'  went  so  fast  we  could 
not  fasten  to  them. 

So  we  continued  on  our  course  to  the  i^astward.  On  the 
twenty-ninth  \\v.  rais(;d  spouts  which  proved  to  be  killers. 
.\fter  this,  till  I'ebruary  20th,  we  (experienced  a  succession  of 
baflling,  variable  winds,  with  occasional  s(|ualls  and  showers 
of  rain,  and  as  we  had  a  heavy,  rolling  sea,  we  nearl)-  wore 
out  a  suit  of  sails. 

On  the  twenty-second  we  made  -Saunders  Island,  one  of 
tht;  Society  group.and  spoke  the  ship  Alexander,  from  Hono- 
lulu, of  and  for  New  London. 

On  the  twenty-third  we  raistnl  sperm  whales  and  took 
one,  cut  him  in  and  procet^deKl. 

On  the  twenty-fifth  a  boat  with  natives  came  off  solicit- 
ing trade.  ' 

On    the   fourth  of  March   crossed  the  etpiator  in  longi- 


78 


The  ON  Sailor's  Story. 


\M 


tiitlc  one  hundred  and  tlfty-three  tlcj^rees  fifteen  minutes  west. 

On  the  hfteenth  made  Owyhee,  one  of  the  Sandwich 
Ishmds. 

On  the  eiiL^hteenth,  at  seven  bells  in  the  morninj^,  while 
at  breakfast,  we  were  struck  b\  a  combing"  sea,  which  tilled 
the  decks  to  the  to|)  of  the  rails,  and  rushed  with  irreat  force 
into  the  cabin,  nearly  drowning  us  out. 

On  the  nineteenth  !))■  our  own  time  and  the  eighteenth 
by  the  shore  time,  we  crosst;d  tht;  bar,  with  the  assistance  of 
a  pilot,  and  hauled  alonj^side  of  the  j^overnment  wharf  at 
Honolulu. 

Here  we  landed  oil,  shooks,  and  surplus  provisions,  and 
taking-  in  salt  and  fresh  water  we  remained  until  Ajiril  4th. 
Then  we  left,  anil  after  obtaining  wood  and  vegt;tables  at 
Attowy  we  proceeded  on  our  wa\-  to  the  Japan  Sea. 

On  the  fifteenth  we  crossed  the  one  hundred  and 
eightieth  meridian  in  latitude  eighteen  degrees  forty-five 
minutes  north.  ,  . 

On  the  twent)-fifth  we  made  the  Ladrone  Islands.  We 
sent  in  our  b(jats  and  obtained  cocoa-nuts  and  bananas. 

On  the  eighth  of  Ma)-  we  made  Long  Island  of  the  Liu 
Kiu  group. 

We  saw  two  Japanese  junks  and  found  an  island  in  our 
track  not  laid  down  on  iIk-  chart.  These  islands  are  very 
compact,  with  numerous  small  straits  between  them.  On 
the  ninth  we  passed  three  rocks,  called  the  ass'  ears,  which 
resemble  such  ears  in  shape. 

And  so  we  proceeded  northerly,  seeing  occasionally  fish- 
ing boats,  which    ai^peartxl  to   be   sh\'  of  us.     On    the    four- 


The  Old  Sailor's  Storv. 


79 


tcciith  saw  huini)-l)ack(;(l  whales.  Lowered  and  cli.iscd.  hut 
could  not  fasten,  and  also  made  the  island  of  Corea.  On  the 
sixteenth  we  vv(;re  throui^di  the  straits  ot  Corea  and  in  the 
sea  of  Japan. 

And  then  w(.'  proceeded  north,  lookini,^  for  whales  in 
the  day  and  Ivint--  to  at  ni'du.  When  this  s(^'i  was  lu-st  visited 
h)- whalers,  in  A.    1).   1S45,  it  was    literalK' ali\'e    with    them; 


i)ut   a    iar'^e 


111 


tleet 


DursuniL!'  soon 


hrok 


e  ui) 


the 


shoals  ant 


ade  the  remnant  difhcult  to  approach.     ( )n  the  seventeenth 
of  June  we   entered    the    ■' /chotsk    Sea   1)\-  tlie  straits  of   La 


ere  use. 


We  cruised  to  the  north;  encountcn-ed  ice;  laid  ofT  and 
on;  had  much  disao'rec'al^le  w(;ather,  hut  we  fountl  a  seal- 
island  and  went  to  work  with  a  will,  and  on  the  nineteenth 
ot  July  we  had  taken  eirhl  thousand    skins  and  wet  most  of 


our  salt. 


rhes(,' skins  \re  convt.'\e'd    to  llonolul 


rrived  (^n  the  sixteenth  of  Octolx^r,  .\.  I).   iS 


Jo- 


u,  wile  re  we 
We  then 


went  to  Owyhee,  when;  we  overhauled  and  painted  the  ship. 

The  next  seascn  we  proceedc^d  to  the  Japan  and  ( )chotsk 

S(.;as,  sto{iping  at  ditlerent    islands  to  tratle  with  the  natives, 

lily  exchange  fruits  and  vegetables  for  cloth  and  to- 


\\ 


ho  reat 
icco 


Idle  islands  of  the  Pacific  are  innumerable;  the  climate 
and  productions  of  thousands  of  tiiciii  are  excellent;  most  ot 
them  arc;  inhabitetl;  and  the  (juesticju,  "  Whence  came  these 
motley  tribes,  tlu;si;  deni/ens  of  ocean  land  ?"  is  mori;  easily 
asked  than  answi;red.     i\  (.k;scrij;tion  of  their  ph)sio<^nomy, 


traits,  pt;cuharities,  rites,  ct;remonies,    hal)its,    laws,  customs 
■iiiployments,  etc.,  is  subject    matter  tor  unwritten  v()lum<;s 


So 


'Flic   (')/(/  Sai/ors  S/ory 


Our  second    season's    cruise  was   successful,  and  we  ol) 
tained  about  thirteen  tliousand  fur  seal-skins  and  six  hundred 
barrels  of  oil.  which  we  lantled  at  I  lonolulu   for  transhii)nient. 

Then,  after  overhauliiiL;  antl  retittini;,  we  cruised  to  the 
southward  to  while  awa\'  tin;  time  and  s(;arched  for  whales; 
ana  a_L.',ain,  in  the  spring  of  A.  1)  1S55,  we  proceeded  to  the 
Ochotsk.but  this  season  we  hatl  less  success  rii.d  the  result  was 
about  seven  thousand  skins  and  three  hunchxnl  barr-  Is  of  oil. 

v)n  the  hrst  of  July,  A.  1).  f<S55,  1  h.at-l  a  n  ,)W  es  ape. 
\\v.  were  on  shore  killinsj'  s(;al  and  I  struck  at  .1  savat^e  se;i- 
lion  with  a  lance.  Me  wruni;-  the  lanct;  from  m\'  .urasp  and 
broke  tht;  pole.  Ik^n^  without  means  of  defense,  I  en- 
deavored to  back  out  of  tlv  contest;  but  stumblint;'  oxer  a 
dead  seal  I  fell,  and  if  the  cooper,  who  was  near,  had  not 
raj>ued  him  as  he  did  some  othcn-  person  woulil  ha\-e  relateti 
the  consecjuences.  I  soon  rallied  and  had  the  satisfaction 
of  j)uttinn  a  rille  ball  throutrh  the  monster's  cranium,  lie 
was  thirteen  feet  in  l(MiL;th  and  well  proportioned,  capable  of 
takint^  an)-  man's  head  at  a  sinj;le  mouthful. 

We  arrived,  after  our  third  season's  cruise,  at  Hono- 
lulu in  October,  A.  I).  1S55,  and  among  our  letters  was  oi^e 
conveying  the  moiirnful  intelligence  of  the  decease  of  our 
youngest  scjn,  aged  twentN-five,  on  the  Isthmus  of  Panam.:, 
on  his  wa)-  from  Callao  to  .San  I'Vancisco. 

Not  wishing  to  go  on  another  season's  cruise,  I  ma(i<' 
arrangements  with  Mr.  I'^lias  Perkins,  th(^  agent  of  our  fu'u  , 
wherebx'  the  command  of  the  N.  S.  Perkins  was  transferred 
to  Captain  Asa  Pish,  a  New  London  man,  and  I  agreed  lo 
take  charge  of   and    proceetl  lo  New  London  with    the  ship 


The   O/ii  Sailor  s  Slow. 


%l 


Hrookline;  ni)-  remuneration  for  the  same  was  to  be  one  hun- 
dred dollars  \)v.x  month. 

We  sailed  from  tii  Sandwich  Islands  in  November 
witli  a  full  can^o  of  oil  and  seal-skins;  and  as  the  Brf)okline 
was  a  slow  sailer,  or  what  seamen  call  ai;Ood  monthl)-  packet, 
I  now  come  to  a  lon^  passa^re  of  which  1  will  i-ive  a  few 
i)rief  (.Uttails. 

On  l)ecemb(;r  9th  we  crossed  tlie  ecpiator.  On  the 
twenty-second  we  stopped  at  ( )raton;4a,  which  lies  near  the 
southern  tropic.  1  lere  we  w<  n.-  hospitabh"  recei\t;d  and  en- 
tertained 1))'  the  missionary,  the  K.'\'.  Mr.  l^ussecot.  This  is 
a  round,  hiL;h  island,  one  of  tlv  1  larve\'  s^roup,  surroundc;d 
\)\  a  coral  reef  Home  thirt\  miles  in  circumference.  Ihe  cli- 
mate is  mild,  \.\\v  soil  fertile,  and  \\\v.  natives  appeared  to  Ix; 
inlellincnt  and  hon<'st. 

li'^rewe  obtained  fruits,  vei^etables,  wood  and  water, 
all  at  (  h(;a|)  rates,  for  which  we  paid  in  calico  at  twv  ut\-tive 
cc(Hh  M  yard. 

We  then  made  -/-od  proi^ress,  consi<U"ring  th(;  dulhvss 
of  our  ship,  and  on  the  first  of  I'"<;bruary,  A.  I).  1S56,  we 
(loi'bled  the  periloiiH  locality  of  Cape  Horn  and  had  the  At- 
lantic Oi    an  before  us. 

We  had  a  lon)^,  tedious  passaj;e  to  the  e(juator,  which 
w<;  crossed  on  the  first  of  y\|>ri!;  but  after  that  time  \\v  made 
iietter  proj^ress  and  we  arrived  at  New  London  on  April 
juth,  aft<'r  (  ne  hiindre('  and  ei^ht)  chiys'  passage  from  the 
Sandwich  Islands. 

VVe  had  been  ,ibs/7)ft  from  lioni'  fort^-foiir  months, 
and    had    sailed   durinii     ihat  ^inie,    ijccordinji    to    .1    rough 


82 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Siory 


calculation,  a  distance  of  some  s(ncnt)'-tivt;  thoifsaiid   miles. 

I'Or  the  benefit  of  those'  hoys  who  learn  from  their  s^o 
o_i;rai)hies  that  the  tlistance  around  the  world  is  about  twenty- 
five  thousand  miles,  we  will  say  that  sailino  aroun<l  the 
world  requires  the  accomplishing  of  a  much  greater  distance, 
as  any  intelligent  lad  can  easil\-  perceive  b)'  giving  attention 
to  the  form  of  the  continents,  as  represented  on  an  artificial 
globe,  or  a  map  of  th(;  hemispheres. 

The  following  is  the  table  of  straight  line  di/.r;;--,  :es 
which  I  sailed  on  this  voyage  in  the  circumnavigation  ot  the 
world,  and  does  not  include  my  thret:  cruises  from  the  Sand- 
wich Islands  to  the  Japan  aiul  Ochotsk  Seas,  nor  m)  mean- 
derings  betwtnMi  seasons  in  cruising  for  whales.  ,aor  dcvVila.- 
tions  on  account  of  adverse  winds. 


I'rom  Xew  Londt)n  to    Tenerifle, 

Teneriffe  to  Cape  I)e  Verdes. 
Cape  ])e  V'erdes  to  the  ecjuator, 
equator  to   Tristine   Islands, 
"       Tristines  to  Prince  Edwards, 
"       Prince;  Edwards  to  Crozettes, 

Crozettes  to  Desolation, 
"      J)esolation  to  S.  Cape;,  New  Zealand. 
New  A^aland  to  Societ\   Islands, 
Society  Islands  to  Sandwich    Islands, 
Sandwich  Islands  to  Cape  W^tiw, 
Ca];e  Horn  .fco  New  LoflNk^li'         >> 


•I 


MII.KS. 
4,000 
700 
1 ,  200 
2.700 
2,(S00 

600 
4.500 
2,<>0O 

4,600 
10,2^ 


'i'olal. 


y>.54^> 


TJir  Old  Sailor  s  S/orr 


S3 


I  will  now  commtMicti  a  narrative  of  my  last  \oyage 
around  the  world. 

1  had  Ix-t-n  at  home  a  whole  year,  and  findino- it  dull  on 
the  land  after  having'  si)t;nt  so  much  of  ni)-  life  on  the  ocean, 
I  thouj^ht  I  would  try  my  luck  as^ain. 

A  Ouaker  once  told  me  thit  we  must  try  to  L;row  a    lit- 
tle l)ett(.'r  and  a  little  richer  every  )ear,  especialK'  the  latter. 
1  his  seems  ro  be  a  general  j)ropensity  of  the  human  race. 

I  lell  in  with  a  speculative  acquaintance  who,  as  I  after- 
wards found  out,  was  tinctured  with  aberration  of  mind,  who 
iii'kiced  me  to  ^o  in  tor  the  purchase  ol  a  \'essel  with  him, 
sa»5<ing  he  possessed  means  enou_y^h  to  purchase  a  vessel,  and 
wiuild  do  so  if   I  would  consent  to  take  change  of  i\\(t  same. 

.So  we  bouj^ht  a  new  bark  in  Boston,  calh.'d  the  I'em- 
pcsi,  tor  ,Sm,3oo,  supposed  b)' competent  judi^es  to  be  a 
)^ax)d  bargain.  lUit  ni)'  friend,  through  the  intluence  of  his 
son.  induced  the  firm  of  brink  »S:  Prentis  to  take  'he  bulk  of 
hiT  otf  his  hands  and  act  as  agents.  ' 

Soon  after  the  arrival  of  the  bark  at  New  London  my 
li|fi/eia<!l  became  so  furious  that  his  friends  were  ol)liged  to 
sfivd  liim  to  an  insan<  asylum,  and  I  was  left  the  responsible 
Ijarty  i-w  tk<-  transaotion 

rivi-w  was  in  the  .1  nui  of  A.  I).  ICS56;  and  as  freight- 
ing ^i^as  j^fM^ra'l'ly  dull  we  laid  her  up  tor  a  spell,  coppering 
ind  i.  r  in  -i^'a-trim  in  hop(!s  that  l)usim;ss  would  re- 

!  -p'  cts  continuing   the  same,  we  coii- 

0  iYt  IW'-r  u^  \«0  a  w  lulling  and  sc^aling  voyage. 

i  ,1;        tiHuence  of  the  1. lie    lion.     Thomas 

IW     y  IS,  w)m»  win  I"    long   ri'MK-mbcrcd   .is  a  successful 


<S4 


The  Old  Sailors  Slor\. 


whalinu  aj^ent  and  man  of  business,  we  were  persuaded  to 
dispatch  the  Tempest  to  tlie  Spit/,l)ergen  reo^ions,  and  1  was 
furnished  with  Scoresbj's  journals  and  information  which 
Major  W'iUiams  obtained  !))•  correspondence  with  whahuj; 
a<j^ents  in  Scotland,  settinj^  forth  the  frequent  ap[)earance  of 
whales  in  the  region  of  ocean  nortli  of  Russia. 

I  sailed  in  May  21st,  A.  1).  1857,  and  made  a  straight 
course  for  the  grand  banks  of  Newfoundland. 

The  bark  was  a  fast  sailer,  and  on  tht:  thirteenth  of 
June  we  made  souk;  small  islands  at  the  south  (f  Iceland. 

On  the  ninetccMUh  we  were  in  latitude  sixt)-si.\  degrees 
north  and  had  the  sun  above  the  horizon  the  whole  twent}- 
lour  hours. 

We  continued  on  our  way  to  the  north  and  east,  and  on 
the  twenty-second  the  sun  was  twelve  degrees  above  the 
horizon  at  midnight  and   the   thermometer   indicated   zero. 

On  the  twenty-third  we  crossed  the  meridian  of  Green- 
wich. 

On  the  twenty-sixth  we  made  the  snow-capped  moun- 
tains of  Bear  Island  and  our  latitude  was  seventy-four  de- 
grees fourteen  minutes  north. 

Walrus  were  taken  in  large  nimibers,  in  days  of  yore, 
from  this  island  by  the  Dutch  and  Russians. 

On  the  fifth  of  July  we  were  tMnbayed  in  the  ic(;,  ami 
our  situation  in  ease  of  a  gale  of  wind  would  have  lieen  ex- 
tremely periloiis,  bv>t  the  weather  contmutnl  moderate. 

On  tht^  sixth  we  succeeded  In  gaining  open  water  b) 
keeping  under  slow  headway  and  slun^ring  clear  of  th<r  large 
ice. 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Story. 


H5 


On  the  (jiiL^hth  \\v  saw  three  small  \csscls  staiulitiL;  to 
tin:  northeast;  probably  fishing'  v(;ssels  from  the  White  S(;a 
bound  to  Nova  Z(mibla. 

fui)-  9th.  Saw  phuU)-  of  ic<;  and  no  whales.  Disap- 
pointnu^nt  is  th(;  common  lot  of  mortals. 

July  I  ith.  We  were  now  about  flit)'  miles  from  Nova 
Zeml)la  antl  came  to  compact  ice  with  no  channel-wajs,  so  1 
concluded  to  back  out. 

Jul)'  13th.  Thick  and  ha/^y;  making  progress  to  the 
westward. 

July  14th.      Cold,  trcx;zing  weather;  saw  heav)-  icebergs, 

July  28th.     Saw   Spitzbergen    l^lountains;  and    so    wore 


awa)' 


th< 


ium.mer  d.ix's. 


W 


e  made  ;  ow  i)rogress  on  account 


of  ice  and  fog;  we  recrossed  the  tirst  meridian;  sighted  the 
east  coast  of  Cjreenlanci;  but  altliough  we  soiig'ht  tliligentl)- 
lor  whal(;s  our  search  was  totall)  unsuccessfid,  and  on  the 
ninth  ot  .\ugust  we  conclud'-d  to  proceed  to  a  iiiore  geni.d 
climate.  So  we  matle  the  best  [)rogress  we  could  to  the 
A/ores,  where  wearri\('d  011  the  eighth  of  Se|)tenih(,'r,  where; 
we.  procured  fruits  and  fr<;sh  meat,  potatoes,  etc.,  and  learned 
that  the  sperm-whale  tleet  had  been  successbd,  while  we  hatl 
cndurcHl  the  hardships  of   the  frigid  /.one  and  all  for  naught. 


W 


e    cruised   for   s(;veral  da\s    in    the    \iciiiit\  ot    these 


th. 


islands  in  hopt^s  of  oinaining  one  or  more  sp-rm  whahs  but 
we  found  none;  and  so  we  proceenled  lor  other  parts,  and  af- 
ter touching  at  the  Cape  1  )e  \'ertles  to  land  letters,  w<-  con- 
tinued to  till'  southwest  aiul  crossed  the  (([uator  on  the 
l\\(  nt)-fdth  ol  (  )rtober,  in  th<'  longitude  ot  se\» meen  (W- 
Lirees  ten  minutes  west. 


86 


llic  Old  Sailor  s  Story. 


On  th<'  twentv-sixth  we  took  the  southeast  trades  stroiii: 
and  l)race(l  u]j  sharp  on  the  wintl  to  the  south-southwest, 
and  our  jjosition  on  the  thirt\'-tirst  ot  October  was  huitude 
sixteen  deLjrees  fifty-eiL,du  minutes  south,  longitude  twenty- 
six  degrees  sixtetMi  minutes  west. 

On  the  seventh  of  November  we  were  in  latitude  twenty- 
seven  degrt;es  thirt)'-tive  minutes  south,  and  longitude  twenty- 
three  degrees  thirty-four  minutes  west;  and  here  we  took  the 
wind  from  the  southwc^st  and  saih^d  southeast  to  the  best  of 
(Mir  abilit)'. 

(3n  the  fourteenth  we  sighted  Inaccessible  Island,  of  the 
Tristine  De-Acuna  grou));  and  taking  in  the  main-sail  and 
reefing  the  top-sails  we  wore  round  to  the  northwest,  cruising 
for  whales. 

November  i  7th.  Strong  breezes  from  north-northwest. 
Bore  away  to  the  eastward.    Saw  fin-backs.     Lay  to  at  night. 

November  18th.  Raised  a  right  whale,  the  tirst  seen, 
but  he  was  bound  to  the  windward  and  we  lost  sight  of  him. 
Saw  a  ship  running  before  the  wind. 

November  25th.  Continuing  on  an  easterly  course, 
keeping  a  vigorous  look-out  for  wliales.  crossed  the  meridian 
of  Greenwich  in  latitude  thirty-seven  tlegrees  nineteen  min- 
utes StHlth. 

December  5th.  Longitude  nineteen  degrees  fort\-live 
minutes  east.  Had  a  strong  gale  from  west-northwesl,  with 
a  very  ugly  (  ross  sea  and  rips.  Stove  the  starboard  (juarter 
boad:;  and  as  the  sea  boarded  us  l)adly  fore  and  aft,  we 
thought  it  ad\  isable  to  lu.'ave  to  in  order  to   save    the  boats. 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Story. 


87 


W'c  supposed  ()urselv(;s  on   the  edge  of   the  Agulhas   hank, 
whicli  is  a  horrid   phice  with  a  ht;av)'  westerly  gale. 

Decemhctr  6th.  Commences  with  heavy  gale  from  west- 
northwest,  with  a  heavy  combing  sea.  Lay  uj)  northwest  hy 
north.  At  two  o'clock  P.  M.  bore  off  to  running,  but  soon 
came  into  a  \cxy  I'g'y  cross  sea,  and  hove  to  to  save  our 
boats.  /\  heavy  coml)er  struck  the  jib-boom,  a  thirteen- 
inch  spar,  and  broke  it  in  the  cap;  but  on  the  recoil,  the  stays 
being  taught  brought  it  back  to  its  place,  and  nothmg  more 
iroubk.'d  it  (.luring  the  night,  which  was  a  very  fortunate  oc 
currence,  for  had  it  gone  under  the  bows  we  should  have 
lost  two  jibs,  for  the  sea  was  heaving  in  all  directions. 

But  we  surviveil  this  \)(.\x'\\\  and  when  the  wind  became 
more  moderate;  repaired  damages  and  proceeded  towards  the 
1.,'ast  in  compan)'  with    the  bark  Union,  of  Sag  flarbor. 

December  20th.  We  were  on  the  eastern  ground, 
where  whole  cargoes  of  oil  have  be(m  (;asily  procured;  but 
now,  with  the  tine-st  weather,  not  a  spout  was  to  be  seen. 

December  25th.  Made  Pig  Island,  of  the  Cro/ette 
group,  bearing  southeast  1)\'  east;  distant  by  estimation  about 
twcMity-five  miles. 

December  31st.  The  last  day  of  another  year.  Saw 
four  sail,  all  whalers,  but  no  whales.   Clear,  pleasant  weather. 

January  0th.  Kille'.  one  whale  near  Possession  Island; 
lash<Hl  him  and  towed  him  off  short .  This  v/hale  /ieldeJ 
only  thirty-five  l)arr('ls  of  oil. 

January  9th.      Bore  awa\'  for  Desolation. 

lanuary  16th.  Stiff  breezes  from  tin  norl Invest;  at  five 
A.  M.  shipped  a  heavy  sea,  nearl)'  burying  us. 


88 


The  Old  Sailor's  Story. 


Al  ten  :\.  M.  sjjokc  the  sliii)  Al)rani  I'arkcr,  of  New 
Bedford,  clean.  Saw  a  ship  to  leeward;  hore  off  and  sjjoke 
the  Abii^^ail,  of  \(.-w  H(,-dford,  with   no  oil. 

Januar)'  i)th.  \ot  InidinL;  whales,  concludi;d  to  pro- 
ceed eastward  towards  Nmv  Zealand. 

Februar)'  9th.      Doubled    the    southeast    cape    of   New 
Z('aland;  and    beini;  on    old  whaling;  or-rounds   slack(;ned   our 
proij^ress  by  layintj^  to  at  nii^ht. 

February  14th.  Crossed  the  one  huntlredth  and 
eightieth  meridian;  and  bciin^'  in  the  \icinity  of  Lord  Chat- 
ham's   Island  la)-  to  for  da)  li^ht. 


lubri 


ar) 


I  sth.     At  seven  A.  M.  made  Chatham  Island 


ahead,   stood   do 


w  n   1 


ts    south    side,  l)etwe( 


n    It    and 


'itts 


Islantl.  At  two  I'.  M.  anchored  in  1  lanson's  Ha)',  in  four 
fathoms,  X.o  [irocur(;  xe^ctables.  The  natixcs  cam(;  off  and 
said  they  had  pUmt),  which  the\  would  (!.\chani;(;  for  tobacco 
and  clothinLj. 

We  obtained  three  boat-loads  of   potatoes  of   an    e.xcel- 
U-nt  (jualit)'.      One    plu.i;  of  tobacco  j)aid  for  one  ham[)er  of 
We  obtained    about   two  hundred    bush(;ls  of  po- 


potatoes. 
tatoes,  a 


raft  of  water,  a  lot  of  wood  a 


nd  live 


lOL'-S. 


m 


I'his    island    1    sliould    jud^c  to  l)e  about   one   huntlred 
lies   in    lenj^rth,  and    fr<jm   lilteen    to    twent)-fiv(;    miles    in 


on 


;adth. 


'X\\v,  chief  town,  whit  h  Iki 


s  a  !' 


ood  harbor  and  a  number 


of  iorei^n    r<si(lents,  is  ncu*  ihe  north  end. 

'\\\i\   soil,  es|)eciall)-  in    ihr   southern    part,  is    excellent, 
producing;  grains,  L^rass  and  xe^c tables  t)f  a  superior  (pialil). 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Slory. 


S9 


The  iiali\(js  axv,  a  sort  ol  mixed  race,  and  mamol  them 
speak  the  I'^n^hsh  lanouaye  llucntl}'. 

At    one    time    the    i)e;acefiil   inhabitants    of    this    lf)\el)- 


■A\\(\  were  attai  ivci-l  1)) 


the  fk;rce  and   warhke    tribes  of   \e 


w 


Zeahmil,  sav.i^cs   aiul    c.mnibals,  w  ho   came-  in  th('ir  war  ca- 
no(  s  ()\er  a  boisterous  rcLiion  of  ocean,  a  distance  ot   twehc; 


th'^rees;  and  makm^'  war  upon  this  mnoc(Mit  .uid  unsus- 
pecting' jiopulation,  the)-  massacred  lari^c;  numbers  of  the 
males  and  rechiced  the  remnaiit  ot  tiie  peo[)le  t(^  a  contUtion 


)f 


ol  servi 


tudc 


I'our  of    m\'  crew  deserted    here,  beinLi'  imhiced   b\-  the 


nati\c;s,  w  lio  stowed   th 


em  aw 


ly 


for 


iV  jjurpose  of  receivins. 


a  reward  lor    their   ajiprehension.      Such    is    the   duplicity  of 


these   semi-i>arbarians    that    the\-  w  1 


11    11 


et.'ce 


th 


e  men    o 


r  all 


they  ha\'e  lo  sj)are  to  p.i\   tlu'in  tor  coiicealinL;  ihe  poor  sail 
ors;  antl  then  th(;y  endea\or  to  maki;  the-  captains  pa\'  the 


lots  of  tobacco  for  del 


iverine-  up  til''  runaways. 


r.ui 


accoi 


m 


\\v^  to  111)  experience  Chatham's  island  is  not  thi'  onl\-  j)lace 
in  this  wilderness  \v()rld  where  Iraud  and    double-dealino  are 


sometimes    practiced 


mone 


y 


tol 


)acco  ami   ciotiinitr,  ant 


W 
th 


1)1) 


tamed    our    men    b)-    pa)in 


urocetaletl  on  our  cruise 


b'ebruar)'    j.Sth.      Clear,    [ileasant    weather.      We    are   a 
little  to  the  north  ot    the    tropic  of    capricorn,  ll<)atin_i4  lazily 


alomj'  en  the  vast 


acific. 


W 


!i<)  can    (lescrihe 


th 


e   "grandeur 


an 


d  sublimit)-  of   a  iiiLiht  in  this    loialit)',  wh 


en 


.11,  tl 


th 
th( 


e  moon   is 


le  air  inxiL'.or.'Uin:^,  the  sea  traiicpul,  and  the  muul  ot 
man  is  in  harmoii)  with  the  whole  ?  So  oiide  aloUL;,  little 
1), irk,  towards  t  hose  iiorlhern  rc-ions,  where  the  leviathans  ot 


the    tU  (  j)    are    si)ort 


iu< 


amoii!, 


Itle 


lloat 


n\L;,   ic)  mountains, 


go 


The  Old  Sailors  Story 


littk:  ihiiikiiiL;  that  we,  art;  coming;  with  harhtnl  and  iiuir- 
clerous  iniphnncnts  for  their  destruction. 

I'rom  tliis  chitc,  forman\-  da\'s,  wc  had  moderate  breezes 
and  sultry  \veathi;r.  On  the  se\  eiueenth  of  March  we  raised 
a  hirLje  sperm-whale;  out  he  went  too  tart  tor  our  benefit, 
and  after  chasin^■  him  a  ^^ood  twelve  miles  we  w(;re  oblig'ed 
to  give  up  the  chase,  which  was  (|uitt;   tliscouraj^ing. 

March  iqth.  At  te-n  A.  M.  made  a  small,  low  island 
surroundc;d  by  a  reef  and  covered  with  cocoa-nut  trees.  This 
island,  called  tin;  Duke  of  Y(jrk,  we  supposed  to  be  unin- 
habited, but  on  our  approach  we  were  surprised  to  see  six  ca- 
not;s  come  boominir  out  over  the  ret;f  with  cocoa-nuts  to  sell. 

One  of  these  canoe-f(;llovvs,  a  fme  looking'  lad,  stowed 
hims(.'lf  away  in  the  hold  of  our  vessel  unbeknown  to  his 
chief;  and  his  absence  was  not  discoveretl  by  the  chief  until 
the  canoes  left  the  ship  aiul  were  some  distance  off.  We 
filled  awa)*;  and  as  the  kdlow  made  si^ns  to  me  that  they 
would  kill  him  if  I  suffered  them  to  re- take  him  I  stood  away 
from  the  canoes;  the  men  in  which,  after  discovering  the  de- 
sertion of  this  lad,  had  headed  for  ms  a^ain  and  were  e.xert- 
in^'  their  arms  and  voices  to  the  utmost.  But  the  race  was 
of  short  duration  for  we  soon  left  them  far  in  the  rear,  and 
the  young  fellow,  who  was  sprightly  antl  intelligent,  became 
a  general  favorite;  and  months  after,  when  \\v.  sickened  and 
died  with  consum[)tion  in  a  high  northern  latitude,  we  sin- 
cerc;ly  mourned  his  decease. 

March  2 2d.  .At  two  A  M.  discovered  a  reef  half  a  mile 
in  length,  spoken  ot  on  the  chart  as  having  an  "  existtmce 
doubtf']]."      Hut   it  would  be  a  hard  customer  to  strike  on  in 


Till'   (Vd  Sailoi-'s  Siory. 


^t 


llu;  nij^hl.  Position  ot  tliis  reef,  laliludc  live  .Ic^frecs  t\v(,MUy 
ininiitt.'s  south,  lonLi'itiulc  one  huinlrcd  ami  scvt;nty-four  tlc- 
'^rtH'S  tut'iitN-scvcn   iniiuitcs  wcrst. 

March  24th.  I  Icadinj^  to  northwest  passed  the-  Ivin^tr 
Mill  '^rou|);  the  wind  was  Iii;ht  and  we  made  slow    proij^rcss. 

Alter  the  tirst  of  April  we  hatl  more  wind  and  proc('(tded 
with  mort;  celerity  towards  our  ilestinatioit,  viz.:  the  Japan 
ami  ( )chotsk  Seas. 

April  iith.  I'illed  thrc;e  hundred  barrels  of ■  water  at 
Cjuam,  one  of  the  Ladrone  Islands.  \\\\  also  ol)tainc;d  wood 
and  fresh  ])rovisions;  painted  ship  and  L;av(;  thi-  crew  liberty 
to  jj^o  on  shore,  one  watch  at  a  time.  We  remained  until 
.\pril  2T,(.\  at  this  place. 

On  the  twent)'-si.\th  landed  on  a  small  \'olcanic  island 
and  ol)tain(;d  a  few  fish.  I'Vom  the  crater  ut  this  island 
^moke  was  constantly  issuinj^  and  the  air  was  very  hot  and 
stillint,^  The  rocks  were  too  hot  to  be  entlurable  to  naked 
feet.  Idiis  is  the  islaiul  of  Faxaros  and  its  latitude  is  twenty 
degrees  thirty  minutes  north. 

May  2(-l.  At  live  A.  M.  made  an  island  on  the  weather 
bow  and  passed  it.  At  ten  A.  M.  made  a  cluster  of  rocks 
and  a  high  island  ahead.  We  passed  close  under  its  lee  and 
saw  that  it  was  wtdl  wooded  and  inhabited.  Its  sides  were 
nearly  perjx-ndicnlar  and  rosj  apparentlya  thousand  feet  in 
i'li'ight.       These  islands  b(;long  to  the  Japanese  dominions. 

May  4th.  Calm,- and  a  rolling  sea.  Took  in  sails  to 
save  tlunn  from  Hopping  to  pit-ces.  Latitude  thirty-four  de- 
grees   north,  longitude  one  hundred    and  fort)-  degre(;s  east. 

May  13th.      I'^ntereil  the  Ochotsk  .Sea,  between  the  Ja- 


^>, 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


33  WfST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4S03 


i^.r 


s 


f> 


92 


The   Old  Sailor  s  Story. 


pan  aiul  llic    Kurilc    Islands,  and    proceeded   nortli  until  we 


(anic  to  ice. 


Ma)"  2nih.      lla\  int^-  worked   to  the   iiortlnvcst,  rais<  d  a 


li'.'!. 


I    of    foun 


I' in    ships   scarchiiii;  tor  w  hahs   aiul    (jl)ser\(< 
thai  thifc  were  hoihil!^  out. 

Ma\   jStii.       1  hirt)'  ships  in   sii^ht,  (  i^ht  hoiiiuL;  out 
Ma\'  2c)th.      I'ound   a    dcail    whale;    hauled    him    alon'j 


sule  aiHl  eoniii"'  :u:eu  c 


uttin'j  in;  found  him  rather  lender 


line  isi.      I'inished  hoilini^r.     The  whale  )ielded  se\  ent\ 


f'n'e  l)arrels. 


Ull> 


Sth.       S; 


l\\     v 


hal 


es  in 


th 


e    ice 


hut 


eouiil    not  «>"et  to 


th 


(■'  1. 


June  I  ith.      Stihck  a  whal(>;  ran   him    into    the    ire    and 


had  lo  .:ul  loo^e 

June  :oth.  W'eii^hed  anchor,  which  we  had  previously 
let  L^o  to  keep  from  driltins^  ashore,  and  found  the  stoi  k 
gone  and  the  anchor  -.( oured  brightly  by  dragging  four  miles 
on  rock)   bottom.      Ca[)tain  Norton,  of  the  ship   South   Sea- 

;ui,  came  on  board    and    informed  nn    that  lie  had  found  a 

hah 


ni 


w 


e  With  ni)'  line  and  irons,  the  one  ni)'  third  mate  lost  on 


thi 


the  <'le\enth.      Went  on  boartl  with  him  and  t-ot    ihe  line. 


w 


And  so  we  cruised  ami  searclKnl  and  drifted;  and  as  the 
eather  was  lool  and  fogg)  much  of  the  time,  inasi,  uch 
that  ice  would  make  on  the  rigging  at  times  two  iiu  hes  in 
thickness,  our  cruising  does  not  altogether  partake  of  the 
nature;  of  a  |)leasiire  excursion;  and  as  whales  were  few  and 
shy,  and  ships  were  plent)',  our  cruising  was  not  iml)  un- 
pleas.irable  bni  also  unprohlable.  It  is  true  wchad  coni- 
])an),  ami  "  inis(  i)   lo\ es  compaii)'"  is  an  okl  saw,  but  be  the 


The   Old  Sailor  s  Slory. 


93 


compaii)-    more  or  less,  I  al'.vays    liked    wlien  I  went  fishini^ 
to  i^t't  some  fish. 

July  I4tli.  Commenced  with  breezes  from  the  north- 
cst.  At  three  A.  M.  the  ice  caiiu;  up  and  took  th(!  schooners 
1'"..  L.  I'rost  ami  Alice  I*" ra/ier  adrift.  I  sent  my  second  mat<* 
in  s(  irch  of  the  third  mate.      At  the  turn  of  the  tide  the  ice 


w 


ame  afoul  of  us,  takii 


ift 


W'^  us  adritt  clown  \.\\(\  bay 


th( 


and 


LrnmlmL!" 


us  terribly,  cutting  the  stem  nearl)'  to  the  wood-ends.  The 
bottom  was  rocky  and  the  anchor  tlra^'Ljin*^  over  the  rocks 
made  a  bi^.  .imblin;^  noise;  and  how  our  little  bark  endured 
the  strain  the  Lord  knoweth,  for  she  jarred  all  throui^h  as 
thou«^h  she  wouKl  start  ev(!r\-  joint.      We  wt 


re  cl 


ose  m  slion 


and  e\i)(;cted  momentarily  to  strike  rocks,  and  the  fog  was 
vcr)'  thick  at  the  lime.  .At  elcNcn  .A.  M.  we  emerii^ed  from 
the  foLj;  and  at  twelve  M.,  ^vhen  the  tid(!  turned,  we  weighed 
anchor  antl  retrac(;tl  our  lost  ground. 

We  stood  up  the  bay  and  at  five  P.  M.  raised  our  boats 
l\'in<''  fast  to  a  whale.      \\ C    took    him    aloULTside  and   towed 


him  Ml  snore 


for   f 


ear   o 


f   tl 


le    ice 


1 


o  nixe 


th 


e  unmiluited 


some  idea  of  whaling-  in  the  bays  of  the  ( )chotsk  .Sea,  1  will 
stat<*  that  two  of  our  boats,  with  six  nun  in  each,  hatl  been 
fastened  to  this  whale  for  three  ilays,  in  a  dense  foj^,  with  no 
tuc  and  no  protection  from  the  weather  except  their  cloth- 
inj;.  The  ba)'  was  partially  filled  with  junks  of  floating-  ice. 
four,  six.  and  ei^ht  feet  abo\e  tlu'  surface  of  tlu;  water,  va- 
r\ini;  in  size  from  half  an  acre  to  tlu;  size  of  a  ship;  and  these 
pieces  were  constantly  tloatin^-  and  _i;rindin_n  together,  it  is 
not  nt;cessar\  for  me  lo  .aat<'   that  we  cut   in  this  whale  and 


ij 


94 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Story. 


sfiit  the  boats  to  search  for  another,  aiul  thus  the  time 
wore  away. 

Jul}-  20tli.  More  than  a  hundrecl  vess(;ls  were  se.irch- 
inj4  for  oil  in  tliis  ret^ion.  lyinL]^  around  and  in  the  ice;  and 
wlien  tlie  fo|.(  was  thick,  sound  su!)|)lied  the  place-  of  siL,dit. 
and  the  tooting  of  fojj^-horns  was  simply  trenK-ndous.  And 
then  we  began  to  hi;  ill  in  cons(.'(|UiMici:  ol  dam[>ness  anil  ex- 
posure. 

August  1 2th.  The  mate  took  a  whale  near  the  ship, 
killing  him  instantU-  with  a  homh-lance.  Spoke  the  Corea, 
of  New  London. 

August  13th.  log.  ^^">'~i,.  plenty  of  fog.  '!  he  mate  and 
fourth  mate  returni;d  and  reported  the  second  mate  off  in 
thi;  l)a\'  fast  to  a  whale.  Went  in  search  of  him,  hut  it  was 
like  looking  for  a  needle  in  a  ha)stack.  On  the  seventeenth 
the  second  mati-  returned,  ha\ing  fasteni'il  his  whale  to  the 
ship  Navy,  of  Ni-w  IJedford.  ( )n  the  eighteenth  we  got  the 
whale  but  he  was  l)adl\-  blasted. 

August  iqth.  The  mate,  Mr.  dibson,  killed  a  whale  in- 
stantly with  a  bomb-lance, 

August  24th.  Spanker  caught  lire  from  the  sto\e-pipe 
and  was  nearh'  consumed  with  the  ri''Lrin;r  attached.  The 
weather  cleared  u])  for  the  first  lime  in  many  weeks. 

August  25th.  Dropped  down  the  bay  and  came  to  an- 
chor near  the  ship  Rapid,  of  New  Hedfonl,  Captain  1 ).  P. 
W'est,  an  old  friend  of  mine,  broin  him  1  obtained  a  storm- 
sjjankiM'  and  a  bolt  of  duck,  with  which  to  head  il  up  and  re- 
place the  sail  we  had  lost  b)'  tin*. 

August  2;th.     Ainhored,  with  t\\eni}i)ther  ships,  in  El- 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Storv, 


95 


})()\v    Islaml   roads.      Hoats  awaw      I  will  mention  that  when 


ihc 


boat' 


s  crews  are  w 


hahni 


tl 


L^   near  the  sliore  it  is  tlieir  ciis 


th( 


toin  Lo  cain[)  out  oxer  nii^liton  the  shore,  the  upturned  boats 
forming  a  shelter;  aiid  with  a  cainp  lire,  cc^okintr  utensils  and 
provisions,  the\-  make  ihenisehcs  as  comfortable  as  their 
miserable  circumstances  will  ailmit.  Hoats  ha\(:  been  sepa- 
rated from  their  ships  for  a  month  at  a  time,  the  ship  search- 
in*:  in  one  direction  ami  the  boats  in  another,  Iwo  boat's 
crews  from  the  ship  deneral  W  illiams  once  boarded  us  for 
pro\isions,  ha\in^  been  absent  from  th(Mr  vessel  more  than 
fifteen  days;  and  such  cases  were  of  fre(|uent  occurrence. 

Hut  to  be  more;  brief.    \\ C  took  one  whale  in  Shanter  ba\', 
one  in  Mercur\'  ba)';  and  after  takin 
loLZether  as  a  lleet.  under 


«'  one  more  we 


itl 


itner(.-i 


M 


ercur\' 


lb 


tl  1 


ead    and  n('kl  a  council 


of  war,  the  (|uestion  bein^ 


W 


ier(,'  next .' 


Captain  W Cst  hatl  wintered  in  llakodadi  and  intendtxl 
lo  winter  there  aj^ain.  So  w(;  and  \\\v.  Chamller  Price  con- 
chicU'd  to  keep  him  compan\ ;  and  we  bore  aw.i\  for  that  port 
earl\'  in  October,  and  after  a  rouL;h  passa«;e  throuj^h  the  La 
Pcrouse  Straits  we  reached  llakodadi  in  safet\' about  the 
middle  of  ( )ctol)er. 

riu!  Japanese  arc  a  peculiar  people.  Tlu'\'  are  indus- 
trious, but  the  women  do  the  hardest  and  most  disa_L;rec'al»le 
work.  Their  land  is  dixided  into  small  larms  or  plantations, 
is  well  culti\"aled  and  \  ields  abundaiuK.  Potatoes,  beans, 
buckwh(.'at  and  rice  are  the  staple  products.  Tea  is  i^rown 
)uth  of  the  |>arallel  of  thirty-five  dej^rees  north.  ()urblack- 
iced  their  iron  the  best  he  ever  worked.    'rhe\- 


S( 


smith  nronoui 


.loll 


seemeil  to  prefer  Abwuaii  dollars  to  an\<)ther  money.     1  heir 


96 


TJic  Old  Sailor  s  Story 


silk  t^oods  and  lack(.'rcd  wan-s  arc  loo  extensively  known  to 
need  any  description. 

The  American  consul  wishinLj  to  uo  to  Simoda,  1 
agreed  to  carr\  him;  and  U^avini^  Hakodadi  a  little  before 
the  middle  of  No\'(!mber  we  had  a  v(M'y  pleasant  passaj^c  to 
Simoda,  a  distance  of  six  hundred  miles. 


I  found    \\\(\   harhor  not  very  commotlious   ami   the 


an- 


chora_L(('  batl;  hut  we  laid  tin-  bark  ashore  in  a  small  creek, 
where  we  patched  the  copper  and  repaired  tlu;  stem,  and 
oettiny;  a  j^ood  sujjpl)-  of  tea,  su_L,'^ar,  rice  and  swet^t  potatoes, 
we  left  on  the  fourth  of  December  for  Nani^aski,  to  meet  our 
consorts,  the  Raj)itl  and  Chandler  Price,  with  whom  we  in- 
t(Mided  to  whale  in  the  southern  bays  of   Niphon. 

We  started  with  the  wind  from  the  northwest  and  U^ad- 
intj;  but  on  ^c^ttini^'  to  sea  found  th(;  wind  broad  from  the 
west   ami   d(;ad  alu^ad.  and  a  stron<r  cvuTeiit   settiu'j'  to   the 


nor 


theast.      After    makiuL'^  several   tacks  and  losi 


no-  trroum 


we  stood  into  the  mouth  of  Jedo  (iulf  and  lay  off  and  on. 

December  5th.  Stood  to  southward.  Came  on  s([uall\' 
from  w(!st-southwest  and  increased  to  a  ^ale.  Put  her  down 
to  close  reefeil  main-top-sail  antl  f(  ••e-sta\-sall.  with  winded 
fore-sail.  The;  sea  rose;  fearfull)'  and  at  two  W  M.  we  lost 
our  waist-boat.  Soon  after  our  fore-top-mast-sta)-sail,  which 
was  our  main  di^jjendence,  bl(;w  awa)',  leavini^'  us  in  ^reat 
peril.  We  were  on  a  lee-shore,  in  a  heavy  ^ale,  and  at  Unc 
P.  M.  we  saw  an  island  on  our  k^e-beam,  not  over  three  miles 
distant,  and  the  sea  was  makino-  a  cl(;an  breach  over  it,  and 
we  had  no  head-sail  to  tlepend  upon. 

I  went  to  the  whe(;l,  and  by  raising  it  a  few  spokes  got 


Tlif  Old  Sailor  s  Slory 


97 


her  uiultT  a  little-  heaclwa)-;  and  1))'  the  help  of  1  lim  who  rules 
the  wind  and  the  \va\es  wc*  were  |)rcs('r\('d  iVoni  a  horrid 
shipwreck  on  an  irondjound  coast,  where;  escape  from   death 

riu;  wind  ve(M'ed    two  points 


won  It 


1  h, 


ive  Deen   miraculous 


to  the  northward,  and  instead  of  heini;  broken  to  i)ie(:es  on 
unknown  rocks,  the  next  morniniLi  we  wtn'e  fifti-en  miles  to 
the  windward  of  the  lantl  ami  we  felt  like  thankiiiL;  Cioil  lor 
our  delixerance. 

The  wind  continuinL;  str(>nL;  from  the  west,  we  concluded 
to  L^ive  up  whalini^  on  the  coast  of  Japan,  and  we  bore  awa\ 
to  the  east-southeast,  with  a  stroma,  fair  wind,  to  look  for 
sperm  whales  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Mulj;ra\cs.      Uy  keeping 


well  to  the 


sou 


th  we    ran  out  of  the  .vale  and  took  the  wind 


from  the  northeast.  Then  1)\' keeping;  close-hauled  we  made 
lioston  Islands,  helon^inLi"  to  the;  Kalick  L;r<»iip,  situated  in 
latitude  the  deiiree^s  fifteen  minutes  south. 


'11 


le   natives  came    aboard;   cUid  learninij   that  the  l\e\', 


Mr.    1  )oane,  with    whom    I    was  acejuainted,    was    stationed 


th 


u;re  as  a  missionarx',  I  sent  nun  a  note  re([uestniL;  nun  to 
come  off,  which  he  did  the  next  tki)'  in  a  native  boat.  lie 
in\iteil  me  ashore  and  1  accept(;d  his  imitation,  and  was 
well  entertained  1)\-  him  and  his  estimable  lad),  a  dauj^hter 
of  Robert  Wilbur,  of  Mystic   Conn. 

He  had  a  comfortable  dwelling,  picketed  enclosure,  and 
he  and  his  famil)-  were  seemini^l)  cont(!nt(;d.  Tnch^r  his 
chart^e  were  some  two  hundred  and  lift\-  stalwart,  fierce  look-' 
ino",  savage  men,  besides  women  and  ciiildren,  all  of  whom 
li\('d  on  two  sand\  cocoa-nut  islands,  neither  of  which  woidd 


make  a  Liooti  size 


;dfi 


irm. 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Story. 


Mr.  Doaiic  infoniH-d  mc  tliat  these  natives  wort^  (|iiilc 
adventurous;  ucniltl  tit  out  and  voyage  in  open  boats  a  dis- 
tance of  hundreds  of  miles,  and  after  an  absence  of  months 
would  return  safeK'.  'rh(Mr  canoes  are  large  and  they  are 
verj'  expert  in  thc-ir  management. 

We  found  a  canoe  antl  crew  of  these  natives,  who  hail 
been  blown  awa)'  from  home,  at  Wellington  Island,  which  is 
over  four  hundred  miles  west  of  the  Boston  Islands. 

We  supplied  this  missionary  with  tea  and  sugar,  and  re- 
ci:ived  in  return  all  the  cocoa-nuts  we  wanted,  for  he  had 
thousamls  stacked  in  his  )ard. 

Leaxing  our  mission  friends  to  their  lonesome  fate,  we 
stood  to  the  south  to  cruise  for  whales;  but  as  the  custom  of 
northern  whalers  for  years  had  been  to  proceed  to  the  Sand- 
wich Islands  to  recruit,  m)'  crew,  instigated  in  part  by  my 
third  mate,  whom  I  had  taken  from  the  ship  Chandler  Price, 
began  to  show  tokens  of  dissatisfaction,  and  tmally  sent  me 
a  note,  saying  that  they  should  consider  th('\i;;:"iV(is  pressed 
men  if  I  took  them  to  the  ( )chotsk  another  season  without 
\isiting  the  Sandwich  Islands.  Hut  as  1  had  alread)-  been 
in  two  ports  of  Japan.  I  diil  not  feel  lik<,"  goiny  so  great  a 
ilistance  thu:;  late  in  the  season  to  gratif)   th(;m. 

This  brings  me  to  January,  A.  I).  1.S59,  and  as  our 
cruising  was  unsuccessful,  I  was  not  in  the  most  happ)'  frauK- 
of  mind,  with  the  pros|)ect  t)f  making  a  broken  vo\age  and 
having  a  dissatisded  cr-.w. 

W  t;  touched  at  .\scension  Island  for  wood  and  wat(;r; 
had  a  spl('?idid  chanci!  for  killing  a  large  s|>erm  whale, 
which  wouKl  [)robal)ly  have  made  usahunilred  barrels.     lUu 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Storv. 


99 


\.\\v.  I)i<^f  luhher  of  a  hoat-steerer  was  jrallianl,  and  although 
the  wlialo  was  in  an  iron  pole's  lenj^^th  of  the  boat.  th»-  boat- 
stei;rer  niisseil  liis  mark;  and  tiiis  was  very  unfortunate,  for 
sucli  chanct;s  sc^ldoni  occur.  If  we  had  killed  one  we  should 
|)r()l)al)ly  have;  found  another,  for  whaU^s  seldom  roam  singly. 
The  capturing  of  tiiis  whah?  would  probably  have  been  as 
gootl  as  two  thousand  dollars  to  me,  for  I  was  the  owner  of 
one-([uarter  of  the  bark  and  was  sailing  her  on  a  twelfth  lay 
We  entered  the  Japan  Sea  about  the  first  of  April;  fell 
in  with  the  Rapid,  Captain  West,  who  had  wintered  in  Ja- 
pan and  like  ourselves  had  taken  nothing.  Cruised  for  days; 
saw  few  whales  and  the)-  were  una|)proachable.  So  we  pro- 
ceeded north  into  the  Ochotsk  again,  and  endured  a  repeti- 
tion of  last  )ear's  experience;  saw  many  whalers  and  few 
whales,  and  after  much  exertion  succeetled  in  obtaining  only 
live.  The  whales  were  very  sh)-;  tlu;  lleet  numerous;  and 
although  wt:  tried  hard  we  succeeded  poorly.  It  is  needless 
for  me  to  speak  of  ici'.  fog,  gales  of  wind,  peril  and  expo- 
sure, for  1  have  dwelt  on  tliose  sufficiently  in  relation  to  last 
xear's  cruise. 

To  shorten  tlu-  narrative.  I  proceeded  in  the  fall  to,^ 
llonohdu;  shipped  my  oil  to  New  London  b)  the  bark  Siam, 
Captain  Rice,  and  having  refitted  the  bark,  made  arrange- 
ments to  deliver  her  into  the  charge  of  Captain  Asa  l^'itch, 
of  W'w  London,  who  had  lieen  a  successful  whaling  captain, 
in  hopes  that  he  wouKl  ilo  better  with  her  than  I  had  done. 
Hut  the  whole  affair  was  ruinous  to  me  in  a  fmancial  point 
of  view,  for  1  ullimatc.'l)-  n-alized  a  loss  of  seven  thousand 
liollars  cash,  and   thne  years'  valuable  time,  by  my  dealings 


lOO 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Story. 


and  eloinj^s  in  the  bark  ICinixist,  which  1  (h'h\ert*cl  to  Cap- 
tain I'ish  in  the  harbor  of  San  I'rancisco,  ht;  ha\  int;  aj^rt'cd 
to  take^  a  vessel  to  that  place  from  the  Sandwich  Islands. 

1  took  passage  in  the  (ioklen  A^c  Pacific  mail  r,teamer 
to  ]*anania,  and  crossini^  the  isthmus  to  Aspinwall,  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  steamer  Haltic,  which  con\'ey(,'d  m(-  saf(.'ly  to 
New  York,  and  I  arrived  home  in  Janiiar)',  after  an  absence 
of  two  years  and  eii^ht  months. 

.Some  may  ask  :  "  1  low  could  you  lose  so  much  b\'  such 
a  transaction  .-'" 

1  will,  by  wa\'  of  reply,  mention  a  few  items  antl  the 
r(;ad(M'  may  draw  his  own  inferences.  Cost  of  v(^ss(d;  in- 
tert;st  on  the  same;;  outfits;  interest  on  outfits;  pro\  isions  for 


lar< 


ire  crew;  advance   to  crew;   desertion   of    men 


iippmj 


n 


ew  hands;  advances  to  new  hands;   rei)airs  on  vessel;   wear 
and   t(*ar;   stavini^   boats;   clothin;^   for   men;  new  sails;   fe 


w 


hal 


eh.;   msurance;   commission; 


If'ak; 


\\ 


iLTe;  ('aufinir;  commis- 


sion; wharfage;  port  changes;  taxes;  more  leakatj^e;  outt^oes; 
freii^ht;  fot^;  thunder. 

Add  these  itt^ns  careful!)',  and  make  due  allowance;  lor 
lee-way,  and  remember  one  minute  makes  fil't(;en  miles  in 
lonj^itude,  and  see  where  )'ou  will  fetch  u[>,  especially  if  you 
do  not  start  ri^ht  and  ha\e  no  true  dejjartiire. 

After  stopping  at  home;  sixteen  months  I  obtained  a 
commission  as  Acting  Master  and  Coast  Pilot  in  the  United 
States  Navy,  with  orders  to  re[)ort  for  dut)'  imm(,'diately  at 
the  navy  yard  in  Philadelphia.  IJear  in  mind  that  this  was 
in    May,  A.  1).    iSbi,  in   the  beginning  of   that  war  between 


The   Old  Sailors  Siorv. 


loi 


the  northern  and  southern  states,  known  in  history  as  "  'IMie 
Great  Rebell'on." 

My  appointment  bore  the  date  of  Ma)  25th,  and  I  ar- 
rived in  Philadelphia  about  the  first  of  June;  and  after  wait- 
in*^  somewhat  impati(Mitly  for  several  days,  I  received  an  or- 
der from  Commodore  (afterwards  Admiral)  Samuel  V .  Du- 
pont  to  report  for  duty  on  board  the  United  States  frigate 
St.  Lawrence. 

The  southern  ports  were  ordered  to  be  blockaded,  and 
this  vessel  was  to  be  one  of  the  blockadinjj^  fleet. 

We  left  tlu;  navy  yard  June  29th  and  towed  down  the 
river  and  came  to  anchor  oft  the  powder-house. 

July  1st.  Took  in  thirteen  hundred  shell  and  two  boat 
loads  of  powder. 

July  2d.      l'"inish(;d  takin^,^  in  powder. 

Jul)'  4th.  i'lred  a  national  salute  of  twenty-one  t^uns 
and  the  men  had  an  extra  allowance  of  Ljrog. 

July  6th.     Towed  down  to  Chester  and  anchored. 

July  7th.  Steamer  towed  us  down.  Camt;  to  anchor  off 
"Joe  FloLTtrer."  ,,v, 

July  8th.      Towed  out  past  Cape  Henlopen;   made  sail* 
and  stood  out  to  sea. 

July  loth.      At  sea.      Loaded  all  the  ij^uns. 

July  !  ith.     Came  to  anchor  off  P'ortn^ss  Monroe. 

July  14th.      Put  out  to  sea. 

Ju!\'  1 6th.  Captured  the  brii^  Herod,  from  Windsor, 
North  Carolina,  for  Liverpool,  with  resin.  Put  prize  crew 
on  board  and  ordered  her  to  I'^ortress  Monroe. 


I02 


The  Old  Sailor  s  St-orv 


July  26th.  Off  Charleston  harbor.  Spoke  the  United 
States  frigate  Wabash.     Stood  off  to   southeast. 

July  28th.  At  six  A.  M.  made  a  sail  standin^^  towards 
us  which  put  around  to  avoid  us.  We  put  chase  to  her  and 
found  her  to  be  a  fore  and  aft  schooner.  W'c;  i^ained  on  her 
fast  and  at  nine  A.  M.  were  in  point-blank  rans^e.  Fired  an 
unshotted  j^un  as  a  sii^nal  for  her  to  heave  to,  which  he  did 
not  heed.  We  then  fired  a  shot  which  fell  short  of  her.  He 
boldly  hoisted  the  Secession  Hag  and  sent  us  a  shot  from  his 
long-tom,  which  struck  our  main  yard  slings  harmlessly.  We 
gave  him  a  taste  of  our  calibre,  and  down  she  went  head 
first  to  the  bottom,  carrying  six  of  her  crew  as  we  supposed 
by  her  muster  roll. 

Lowered  our  boats  and  i)icked  up  thirty-seven  men,  in- 
cluding the  Captain,  and  then  we  stood  for  the  flag-ship 
Wabash.  The  vessel  so  luiceremoniously  sent  to  "  Davy 
Jones'  locker"  was  the  pilot  boat  Petrel,  of  and  from  Charles- 
ton, 

July  29th.  Stood  in  and  reported  to  the  flag-ship.  Re- 
ceived orders  to  keep  the  prisoners  on  board, 

August  2d,  Anchored  off  Tybee  light.  Transferred 
prisoners  to  steamer  Mag,  bound  to  Hampton  roads. 

August  5th.  Received  fresh  beef,  vegetables,  ice,  let- 
ters and  papers  from  United  States  supply  steamer  Rhode 
Island,  from  New  York,  W^eighed  anchor.  One  of  the  fore- 
castle men  had  his  arm  so  badly  jammed  by  the  anchor  that 
amputation  was  necessary. 

From  this  date  till  SeptembtT  loth,  we  were  blockading 


Tlic  Old  Sailor  s  Story. 


103 


off  Tybce,  when  the  sloop  of  war  X'aiidaHa  came  to  our  sta- 
tion and  we  left  for  Chesai)(;ake  Bay. 

September  15th.  Anchored  in  llampton  '■oads  in  com- 
pany with  I'nited  States  tri^^ates  Minnesota  and  Cum- 
berland. 

September  19th.  Took  in  ;  lot  of  stores  out  of  a 
steamer  from  New  N'ork. 

September  23d.  Took  in  five  thousand  j^ailons  of  fresii 
water  from  water-boat. 

.September  24th.  Took  in  two  hundred  barrels  of  wa- 
ter from  a  water-boat.  I'nited  States  frigate  Sainne  arrived 
from  Portsmouth  to  join  the  blockade  scjuadron. 

.September  25th.  Took  in  eijij^hteen  thousand  <;allons 
of  fresh  water. 

September  2Sth.  Took  in  eii;ht  thousaml  j^^allons  of 
water  and  a  (juantit)-  of  provisions.  X'cssels  constant!)-  ar- 
rivinof  and  departins^. 

October  5th.  Put  out  to  sea.  I'roni  this  date  till  No- 
vember 6th,  we  were  eUij^aged  in  oxcrhaulinj^  vessels,  exam- 
ininir  their  papers  and  letting-  them  procc:eJ;  but  on  this  day 
we  took  a  prize,  vi/.:  the  schooner  I'anny  Lee.  from  Darien 
for  Nassau,  and  put  a  prize  crew  on  board  of  her. 

November  7th.  .S(;nt  off  the  prize  with  Actinj;'  Master 
IJogart  in  charge. 

November  Qtli.  Received  news  of  the  cajjture  of  Port 
Royal,  South  Carolina,  by  I'lited  States  gunboats. 

November  20th.  Commenctxl  with  a  ligl'.t  air  from  the 
north.  At  six  thirt)-  A.  M.  rais(;d  a  sail  to  th<^  windward, 
Mad(;  her  out  to  be  a  bark  slandinij  to  the   northwest.      \\\: 


I04 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Story 


hove  short  but  the  wind  fell  ofi,  so  we  manned  two  boats 
and  sent  them  to  her,  a  distance  of  ten  miles.  At  four  P,  M. 
one  boa*^  returned  and  report(;d  her  to  bt;  the  Neptune,  from 
Glasgow,  Scotland,  for  Quebec,  with  a  load  of  coal.  On  ac- 
count of  her  being  so  lar  out  of  her  track  it  seemed  e\ident 
that  she  intended  to  run  the  blockade.  At  six  1\  M.  the  boat 
in  charge  of  our  second  lieutenant  returned  with  the  Nep- 
tune's captain,  who  gave  a  somewhat  confused  account  of  his 
proceedings.  .So  we  put  a  guard  on  board  of  her  to  take  her 
in  charge,  and  the\-  brought  her  to  anchor  astern  of  us,  and 
her  officers  were  lodged  on  our  shi])  for  the  night. 

November  21st.  HoarcU^d  and  searched  the  bark,  and 
finding  nothing  contraband  of  war,  endorsc^l  her  papt;rs  and 
ordered  her  off  the  coast.  She;  stood  off  to  the  northeast 
and  was  soon  out  of  sight. 

Probabl)'  as  soon  as  slu;  was  clear  of  us  she  retarded 
her  progress  and  waited  for  a  chanci:  to  get  into  some  south- 
ern port;  for  our  search  was  not  sufficiently  thorough,  and 
we  heard  of  her  subse(|uent  capture  l)y  officers  who  gave  her 
a  closer  scrutiny.  They  obtained  prize-mon(;y  which  might 
have  fallen  to  us. 

December  ist.  Received  orders  to  proceed  to  Port 
Royal,  which  we  willingly  obeyed,  antl  we  arrived  and  an- 
chored in  that  harbor  December  5th,  where  we  found  an 
Finglish  frigate  and  a  large  fleet  of  IniKul  States  gunboats, 
supply  vessels,  etc. 

About  this  time  the  stone-tleet  arrivcul  from  the  north. 
This  fleet  consist(;d  mainl)'  of  old  whaling  ships  which  were 
purchased  of  their  owners  by  the  l'nit(ul  Stales  (lovernment. 


The  Old  Sailor's  Slory. 


jo: 


loaded  with  stones,  and  sent  south  for  the  purpose  of  beini^ 
sunk  in  the  entrance  of  Charleston,  Savannah,  and  perhaps 
other  southern  harbors;  for  the  rebels,  notwithstanding  the 
blockade,  were  constantly'  receivinj^  aid  and  encourajrement 
in  the  shape  of  hospital  stores,  munitions  of  war  and  what 
the)'  needed;  and  cotton  was  scarce  and  hiiii'h,  consequently 
the  temptation  to  run  the  blockade  was  great. 

W'e  remained  at  Port  Royal  from  the  fifth  till  the 
twenty-sixth;  painted  ship,  obtained  wood,  water  and  mails; 
and  a  large  number  of  vessels  with  troops.  suppli(;s  and 
mails  were  constantly  arriving  and  departing.  At  the  last 
mentioned  date  We  put  out  to  sea  and  stood  off  to  the  south- 
east. 

December  29th.  Came  to  anchor  in  llftc^en  fathoms, 
with  Cumberland  Island  in  sight  from  aloft. 

The  next  da)'  we  weighed  anchor  ami  cruised  off  and 
on  for  several  day;;. 

January  8th,  1862.  A  seaman  fell  from  his  hammock 
and  fractured  his  skull,  from  which  injury  he  soon  died  and 
we  buried  him  in  the  deep  the  following  da)'. 

January  12th.  Spoke  th(!  packet  steamer  Columbia, 
from  New  York  for  Havana.  Hoarded  her  and  obtained  pa- 
pers of  the  ninth  instant. 

January  i6th.  Anchored  in  latitude  thirty-one  degrees 
forty-nine  minutes  north,  longitude  eighty  degrees  thirty-six 
minutes  west. 

January  19th.  Cot  under  v/ay  and  stood  into  Port 
Ro)'al,  where  we  anchored  in  nine  fathoms,  (Mitside  of  the 
bar,  with  the  light-shit)  bearing  north  by  west. 


io6 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Story. 


January  25th.  Sailed  into  the  harbor,  crossing  the  bar 
in  four  and  one-half  fathoms. 

We  remained  in  port  till  January  31st,  and  then  towed 
out  over  the  bar  and  stood  off  to  the  southeast. 

We  then  proceeded  to  New  York,  took  a  pilot  off  Bar- 
nagat,  and  arrived  at  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard  Februar\'  8th,  at 
eight  o'clock  V.  iM.     Cold  and  stormy. 

We  obtained  stores,  ammunition  and  water,  and  the  men 
had  liberty  on  shore.  We  towed  round  into  the  North  River 
on  the  twenty-second  and  fired  a  salute  of  twent)'-one  guns 
in  honor  of  Washiuifton's  birthda\-. 

Februar\'  28th.  Receixed  a  draft  of  sixty-tive  men,  six 
mates  and  some  ordnanct;  from  the  navy  yard. 

March  2d.  I'owed  cUnvn  the  \ya.\  and  over  the  bar.  A 
seaman  fell  overboard  and  came  near  being  drowned.  A  boat 
put  ofT  from  the  shi|)  Ocean  Monarch  and  rescued  him  be- 
fore our  boat  coukl  be  lowerctl. 

March  bth.  Made  Cape  Henr\'  and  stood  tlirectl)'  in. 
'I'ook  a  pilot  aboard  and  stood  up  the  ba)'.  Came  to  an- 
chor off  Lynn  Haven  Baj-  in  six  and  one-half  fathoms.  This 
da\'  ends  with  a  stront'-  l)ree/c-  and  snow  from  the  northeast. 

March  <Sth.  Commences  with  strong  breeze  from  the 
northwest;  clear  and  cold.  In  tlu,'  morning  a  large  tlet;t 
came  down  the  ba\.  At  two  1*.  M.  the  steamer  Cambridire 
came  alongsicU;  to  tow  us  in  and  informeil  us  that  the  rebel 
iron-clad  infernal  machine  Mcrrimac  was  coming  down  from 
Norfolk  to  attack  the  I'nited  Stati's  frigates  Cumberland 
and   Congress,  which   wcM'c  l\ing   at   Newport    News.      W<! 


The  Old  Sailor  s  Story. 


lo: 


soon  heard  the  report  of  canon  and  weii^^hc'd  anchor  and 
towed  up  for  the  roads. 

At  four  V.  M,  we  were  up  abreast  of  I'ortress  Monroe, 
and  we  proceeded  directly  for  Newport  News,  where  the 
Minnesota,  Roanoke  and  Coni.|^ress  were  i-n^aLjed  with  the 
Merrimac.  When  off  Sewali's  Point  the-  rebel  battery 
opened  fire  on  us,  throwing"  both  shot  and  shell  completely 
over  us.  We  returned  the  tu*e  as  we  passed;  and  only  two 
of  the  rebel  shot  t(jok  effect  on  us,  one  cut  away  one  of 
the  bowsprit  shrouds,  ami  the  other  struck  the  ([uarter-block 
under  the  fore-yard  and  cut  off  the  fore-tojj-sail  sheet 

We  spoke  the  Roanoke  n-'tirini;-  from  action,  and  found 
on  openint;  the  point  that  the  Cumberlantl  had  been  sunk 
by  the  Merrimac  and  that  the  Congress  had  surrendered  to 
her.  She  was  then  engaged  with  the  Minnesota,  the  latter 
vessel  being  aground.  We  t(nved  close  up  to  the  Minnesota 
and  the  Merrimac  ga\e  us  a  xolley  of  j)rojectil('s  from  her 
thirteen-inch  gun,  one  of  which  took  t;flect  on  our  star- 
board (|uarter,  abo\(;  water,  making  a  large  hole.  It  passed 
through  the  pantr\'  with  a  dtMiiorali/ing  effect  on  tin;  ilishes, 
entered  the  cabin,  cut  off  two  legs  from  a  table,  struck  a 
timber  on  the  oppi)site  side  of  the  ship,  and  rolletl  down 
within  a  few  feet  of  the  mairazine  scuttk.',  wluM'e  it  lav  harm- 
lessl)'.  The  missile  was  a  shell  but  it  did  not  explode.  Had 
it  exploded  in  the  \icinit)-  of  our  maga/inf  the  conseciuences 
would  have  been  otherwise  from  what  the\'  were.  We  pep- 
peretl  tin;  machine  until  siic  ceased  fusing  and  witlulrttw.^  We 
then  dropped  down  and  came  to  anchor  oH  b'ortress  Mon- 
roe.    ,'i  he    l'>ricson    water   batter)'     Monitor    arrived    from 


io8 


The  Old  Sailor  &  Stow. 


New  York  and  proceeded  up   the   roads  to  Newport  News, 
the  seat  of  action. 

March  9th,  1S62.  I'his  day,  world  renowned  in  the  his- 
tory of  naval  warfare,  commenced  clear  and  calm.  All  hands 
called  to  quarters  and  ij^uns  matle  ready  for  immediate  ac- 
tion. We  discovered  the  Merrimac  and  three  rebel  gun- 
boats getting  up  steam  off  Sewall's  Point,  and  moving  slowl) 
towards  the  Minnesota  which  was  still  aground.  The  Moni- 
tor boldly  advanced  and  attacked  the  Merrimac,  which  en- 
deavored to  run  over  the  comparatively  small  and  insignifi- 
cant looking  invention  of  the  now  famous  Erricson.  In  this 
s.ie  was  foiled  by  the  dexterous  maneuverings  of  the  Moni- 
tor, and  soon  withdrew  in  an  apparently  crippled  condition, 
keeled  over  and  seemingly  sinking.  After  a  while  she 
righted  up  and  moved  off  up  the  Elizabeth  River  where  Uer 
consorts  had  previously  tied. 

Thus  ended  one  of  the  most  important  engagements  re- 
corded in  the  annals  of  naval  warfare;  for  the  success  of  the 
Monitor  was  not  only  the  salvation  of  the  American  Navy, 
but  demonstrated  the  practical  utility  of  another  great 
American  invention. 

After  this  memorable  action  we  proceeded  to  Philadel- 
phia Navy  Yard  where  our  damages  were  repaired.  W'c 
then  returned  to  Eortress  Monroe,  where  our  commander, 
Captain  Purviance,  was  relieved  from  active  service  and 
Captain  J.  l'\  Schencks  succeeded  him  as  commander  of  the 
St.  Lawrence. 

We  proceeded  to  b'  .ckade  duty  on  the  North  Atlantic 
coast;   went  as  far  south  as   Kev  West,  where,  in   course  of 


The  Old  Sailor  s  S/oiy. 


109 


time  our  friyalc  was  made  iIk;  llaij-sliip  of  Commodore* 
Lardner's  sciuadron;  Ik;  haxinj^  dispatched  his  fri<^at(;.  tlie 
San  Jacinto,  north  on  account  of  the  jellow  fevc.T  which  v.\- 
tensivel)'  prevailed  amonjj^st  his  crew.  Our  m(;n  were  soon 
attacked  with  th(;  scourge;  the  weather  was  very  hot  and 
man)'  cHt^d  with  the  chsease.  Souk;  (\\(i(\  on  board,  others 
were  semt  to  th(;  hos|)ital;  some;  recovered  and  returned  to 
the  shiji,  and  others  died  in  the  hospital. 

Thus  the  months  wore  away  and  on  the  tenth  of  Octo- 
ber I  rec(,'ived  orders  to  report  on  board  the  United  States 
Li'un-boat  Youni;"  Ro\'er.  for  a  passaL;'e  north.  Conjj^ress  had 
passed  a  law  that  na\al  men  over  sixt)-  )'ears  of  ajj^e  should 
b(;  dismissed  from  active  service;  and  as  I  was  but  a  volun- 
teer this  act  was  ('([ui\aletU  to  my  discharge. 

We  arrixi'd  at  IMiihideljjhia  October  26th,  and  on  No- 
V(MTii)er  4th  I  took  passage  on  the  cars  to  New  \'()rk.  brom 
thence  I  w<'nt  to  Saybrook  on  the  steamer  Oranitc;  State;; 
visited  an  old  ac([uaintance,  Captain  1  )oIl)eare,  who  made; 
me  W(,'lcome,  and  the  following"  Monday  he  convejctl  me  in 
his  sail-i)oat  to  Old  Hamburgh,  from  which  [)lace'  1  tra\cled 
to  my  home  in  Sal(;m,  Cl.,  where  I  found  m\- wife  and  family 
in  comfortable  health.. 

This  is  a  \-er)'  brief  sketch  of  m)"  sixteen  months  in  the 
llniteil  .Stat(;s  Navy.  The  remainder  of  ni)  narr.nive  is 
([uickl)'  told. 

In  ,\.   1).   iS():  1  rcmoNcd    from    Sahnn  to  Ciales   l''err\-, 


my  birtpplac:*',  where 


Uill 


resuu 


I 'I  .\.  1).   iS()4  1  made  a  trailing    \o)aL;(:  to   Key  West, 


I  ID 


The  Old  Sailor's  Story, 


I'cMisacola,  and  the  Hahamas.  which  proved  not  only  iinre- 
miinerative  l)ut  a  losin<j[  affair.  Heint^  short  of  funds  at  the 
liahamas,  having-  remitted  proceeds  of  sales  from  Key  West, 
I  borrowed  S500  to  pa)'  for  pine-apples,  a^^^reeinjr  to  trans- 
mit the  same  amount  in  iL^old  from  New  \'ork.  I  arrived 
safely  with  a  well  preserved  cargo  of  pine-apples;  but  im- 
agine my  feelings  when  I  found  on  my  arrival  gold  stood  at 
$2.80  in  greenbacks.  This  trip  was  in  the  schooner  Actor, 
then  belonging  to  Captain  Chapman,  of  (iroton. 

In  A.  1).  1865  I  went  with  Captain  Pettigrew.  in  the 
schooner  Sun,  to  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  mackerel  fishing; 
but  that  season's  work  was  not  very  lucrative. 

From  that  time  until  A.  I).  1877  I  did  a  small  coasting 
business,  being  employed  a  considerable  portion  of  the  time 
by  Johnson  <1^  Co.,  dye-wood  and  dye-wood  extracts  manu- 
facturers and  dealers,  of  Montville,  Ct.  And  now  in  A.  I). 
1879,  in  the  eightieth  year  of  my  life,  I  have  compiled  from 
memory  and  journals  this  abbreviated  sketch  of  my  past  life, 
in  accordance  with  the  wishes  of  my  friends;  and  being  as- 
sured by  the  infirmities  of  my  body  that  m\-  time  on  earth,  is 
short,  I  launch  my  narrative  on  the  tide  of  public  opinion, 
craving  that  charity  from  an  intelligent  public  which  suffereth 
long  and  is  kind,  and  which  moreover  covereth  a  multitude 
of  sins. 

Sensible  am  I  that  this  little  work  has  its  deficiencies 
and  blunders,  also  that  it  partakes  of  the  nature  of  the 
"short  and  simple  annals  of  the  j)oor;"  but  time  changes 
men  and  things,  and  perhaps  when   you  write  an  account  of 


The  Old  Sailors  Story 


I II 


your  adventures  at  my  time   of  air^,   considerate  reader,  it 
may  be  more  interesting,^  and  perhaps  not. 

Every  person's  history  has  its  lessons  for  others,  for 

"  I,ivcs  of  great  men  all  remind  us 
We  can  make  our  lives  sublime;" 

And  on  the  other  tack, 

"  J5y  others'  faults  wise  men  correct  their  own." 


